Love at First Write
by Karin Ochibi-chan
Summary: AU When Namine Narumi is out of a job from her shut down newspaper column, she only has two choices: live on the streets or work for five rich and handsome men... is it too late to find a box to live in somewhere? Naminecentric Namine/multiple Ch. 19 Up!
1. Namine Narumi: The Writer

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Hey readers! I'm so happy I get to put out this first chapter for this story. It took me a while to actually wright more stories since my friend was bugging me on my other story "How did I get into Kingdon Hearts by working late", but since it's summer, it's easier to update and I'm sure everyone agrees with me on that. **

**Pairings: **

**Axel, Demyx, Riku, Roxas, Sora/Namine **

**Leon/Kairi/Cloud **

**Hayner/Olette**

**Reno/Tifa**

**Yuffie/Vincent**

**Summary: Namine Narumi works for the lowest newspaper column in New York City. When the Newspaper known as the Seventh Heaven is evicted, she has no choice but to look for another job. Sadly, the only job for her is working for the five most wanted bachelors as their personal maid. Being a personal maid? or lose her apartment and live on the streets in the slums? Hmm... she'd take the slums anyday, too bad no one will let her! **

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts, never did, never will. If I did, Namine would have more spotlight

**NOTE: This fic is centered on Namine! Because Namine is awesome and it's very rare to find multiple pairings for Namine so I'm contributing to this because Namine deserves love too and all the Namine fans probably agree with me on this. **

**Anyway, on with the story about our favorite artist**

**Namine Narumi- The Writer**

Namine Narumi was your average, everyday person living in New York City. She lived on her own, she had a job, and she had an awesome cat, which she named Moogle.

Namine was slightly short for a 21-year-old with shoulder-length blonde hair and glasses framing her blue eyes, which held inspiration and innocence. Her clothes consisted of blue faded jeans, a black t-shirt with a big, blue, plaid madras that was old and worn out a little, but still useful to keep her warm in the cool air of New York City, and finally, to cover her dainty feet were brown worn out and dirty combat boots used for hiking up in the mountains. People often stared at her choice of clothing as she passed by them to get to work.

Namine snorted at their stares. What was the big deal anyway? It's not like she can afford the latest styles nowadays, not that she cared about fashion, but her job just doesn't pay that much for her to afford the glamorous things in life.

Namine worked for the lowest newspaper column on the food chain located in the slums of New York City. She never minded the slums, after all she used to live in a very run down apartment with her twin sister and their dad. Their mom had been long gone, leaving them for some rich bastard and left for the Uptown New York City.

Namine hated the Uptown area of New York. Everyone there was a bunch of snobs! They only cared about material things and not the important issues like global warming. As you can see, Namine is sort of an environmentalist.

Going back to the present, Namine now lived in a different run down apartment in the slums. She considered that lucky because the slums is a place where all the homeless people of New York City were most likely to be found living there. Namine shivered just thinking about living on the streets of the-not-so-safe New York.

Another reason why she hated the rich bastards up in Uptown is that they were ignorant to the world outside of their perfect bubble. There was so much violence in the world today, like the war in Iraq, for instance. The same thing goes on in the slums all the time. Gang fights, murders, guns just shooting at each because they hate the world, robberies, suicide, and women being raped. Namine again shivered just thinking about losing her virginity to someone that she didn't love. She remembered what happened to her neighbor the other day.

Olette Satsuki, her good friend and neighbor, was raped a couple of nights ago while walking home from the grocery store. Namine remembered coming in to her apartment that night and finding Olette weeping and her clothes torn. Namine would never forget the horror and nausea she felt when Olette retold her story, but she knew it paled in comparison to what Olette felt that night. However, they were both grateful that Olette was still alive. Usually women are killed after their rapist rapes them.

As Namine is left with these thoughts, she approaches the little building, probably the size of a café, and walks in. The building looked old and not well built, but it was strong enough to hold up for the people who worked there. This was the newspaper column Namine walked in every morning and out every evening. This was the Seventh Heaven, the lowest newspaper column on the scale.

The Seventh Heaven was owned by a woman named Tifa Lockheart, another good friend of Namine's, who she had known since childhood.

Tifa was an older sister to Namine. She was tall, beautiful, had the strength to rival ten men, and had the heart and determination to make the Seventh Heaven shine. She was with Namine when Namine had started writing and was the one who gave her the inspiration and motivation to continue writing. Tifa was also the person who had given Namine a job at the Seventh Heaven. Truly, Namine was indebted to her for everything she had done for the young blonde.

"Namine, there you are, how are you doing on your newspaper column?" asked a tall woman in her late twenties with long chocolate brown hair and ruby red eyes shining with determination and strength. She wore a red tank top, with a brown vest, and black jeans with black boots; speak of the devil, Tifa Lockheart had made her entrance and entered the small office Namine worked in. Namine perked up as soon as she saw her.

"Hmm… Pretty good actually, so how are you doing old hag?" Namine asked. As long as both Namine and Tifa remember, Namine had been calling her "old hag" instead of being polite and saying "Onee-chan" like her twin sister and Olette did. It wasn't like Namine was being mean, it was just that Namine was… well… ill mannered. Being raised by her father since she was two-years-old caused her to lose consciousness between the genders, thereby making her become more like a boy than a girl while her twin became a proper lady.

"Why couldn't you be a nice little girl and play with dolls like your sister instead of liking bugs and playing hockey?" Tifa asked, her voice laced with humor. Namine gave her a grin and replied.

"Because I'm weird like that, that's why," Namine told her then stuck her tongue out childishly. Tifa shook her head with a smile on her face; Namine was Namine, she told herself, and Namine had the desire to be different. "And because I'm weird, I'll one day rule the world and everyone will worship the greatness of my cat, Moogle" Namine said happily while Tifa had a big sweatdrop on the back of her head; Yup, Namine was weird alright, maybe that was why she was such a great writer.

"Anyway, did you finish your column or not?" asked the brunette smiling. Namine gave her a grin, "So it's always the column, you never come in here to just say 'Hi Namine, how ya doing?' nope, you come in and say 'there you are Namine, how are you doing on your newspaper column' honestly, I feel very insulted and just for the insult, I'm not telling you what I wrote in my column" Namine ended it with a pout on her face while crossing her arms across her chest and turning away from the older woman.

Tifa smirked amusedly on her friend's behavior. Well, might as well humor the blonde woman. Tifa put her hands on her hips and gave the girl a mock stern look.

"Namine Narumi, that is no way to treat your elders, don't you have any manners to those who are higher ranking in society than you?" she asked. Namine gave the brunette a snort.

"Oh, please, if I gave respect to people higher in the food chain then I would be worshiping the ground those Uptown bastards walk on" she told Tifa while crossing her arms across her chest again. Tifa frowned at her reply.

"You know, Namine, just because your mom left you, Kairi, and your dad for some rich guy doesn't mean their all spoiled in Uptown. I mean, how would you feel if all the people in Uptown hated you for no apparent reason besides the fact that you're poor?" Tifa asked her companion.

"They _do_ hate me hate me because I'm poor. I hear it all the time! 'hey look at that woman, doesn't she have the brains to buy better stylish clothes?' 'No, because she's poor, she probably couldn't even afford to get an education'" she mimicked a couple of voices that she had heard while walking on the street a couple of times, "I'm not deaf Tifa, and I'm not stupid, but _they_ think otherwise, and you know why? Because I'm frickin poor! That's why! They make me sick! They don't know the suffering we go through down here while their sitting up on their mighty thrones with their fancy asses!" the blonde told the older woman angrily.

Tifa gave off a sigh. This girl was so stubborn! This girl just couldn't let her mother's betrayal go! Not that Tifa blamed the girl, she never expected Mrs. Narumi to abandon her husband and children like that. They seemed like a happy family, but she figured that Mrs. Narumi wanted more than a loving family. Namine and Kairi were only two years old at the time; so, it was pretty devastating and the fact that Mrs. Narumi left her husband in a state of depression didn't help much.

Tifa remembered when she first met Namine and Kairi. Her mother and her moved in next door when the twins were three years old. Her mother was an old friend of Namine's father so she was often over at the Narumi apartment while her mother took care of the twins and their father until he was ready to get back on his feet. She remembered meeting Kairi, who could barely talk or walk at the time, and fell instantly for the girl as an older sister. She was so cute and she always followed Tifa around and played with her. Tifa never minded playing tea parties with Kairi or any other girly stuff little girls enjoyed since she was only eight at the time herself.

As for Namine, let's just say that Tifa will never forget when she met the blonde twin. She had expected Namine to be like her auburn haired twin who enjoyed all that girly stuff and treated her with respect since she was older than her; however, that wasn't the case with the blonde three-year-old.

"Who's the old hag?" she asked her twin in perfect English as if she had been talking for years. She remembered holding her anger inside telling herself that Namine was only three and that she didn't know any better, but oh, was she wrong!

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _

"_Who's the old hag?" three-year-old Namine asked her twin who probably didn't know what she was saying since she could barely talk. Tifa's eye twitched, but she held her anger in. _

Easy Tifa, this girl is just a child; she doesn't know what she's saying, _Tifa thought to calm herself. Her mother wouldn't like her to be mean to her childhood friend's children. _

"_I'm Tifa, and you are?" she asked the little girl. Just play it cool, she told her self. She expected the girl to tell her her given name, but instead she replied_

"_Not caring" she told the eight year old bluntly. The blonde girl turned away since she got bored of the eight year old. _

"_Na-na" Kairi said in a baby voice as she tried to catch up to her sister. She didn't like her twin to be away from her. Her twin always took care of her since their dad was too sad to do it. Kairi wobbled a bit and Tifa went to steady her, but the blonde beat her to it. _

"_Kairi, how many times do I have to tell you, don't try to walk if I'm not beside you; you can get hurt you know" the blonde gently scolded her twin. _

"_Sorwy" Kairi apologized and hugged her sister. Tifa silently 'awwed' at the sight before her, but that didn't last because Namine stated. _

"_What are you looking at, old hag?" she asked. Tifa felt her blood boil. This girl had no manners at all! She was just about to tell her off when her mother came in to the room. She told Tifa that it was time to go and that they would be back tomorrow. Mrs. Lockheart hugged the two girls and Tifa did the same, but she felt something was off she noticed as she left the door to their own room. Why was that blonde twin smiling as if she had won the lottery? Was it because her mother was here and that she was playing innocent just for her?_

_It wasn't until she had gone into the bathroom and looked in the mirror to find a spider in her hair… _

_

* * *

_

_Present time _

Tifa still had nightmares about that incident. She later figured out from her mother that Namine (her mother told her Namine's name) was smarter than the average three-year-old. She already spoke English fluently and had a wide vocabulary. She also learned that Namine had been cooking all the meals, doing the house cleaning and taking care of her sister while her dad was too depressed to do those things. He still went to work and was barely able to pay the bills, but Namine did everything else that was the adult's responsibility like clothes shopping and grocery shopping. Tifa thought Namine was pretty lucky because she had done all that stuff without being mugged or get caught up in a gang fight. Not only was Namine a genius, but she had the street smarts too.

She had learned that night that she should never underestimate Namine Narumi…

_

* * *

_

_Flashback_

_It had been a few months since Tifa and her mother had started visiting the Narumis'. Mr. Narumi was actually starting to get back on track with his life and Kairi had started to walk fully only falling a couple of times now. She kept weary of Namine though, never knowing what the little demon was up to_ _next._

_For the past few months, she and Namine haven't been on the best terms. The little devil had something always up her sleeve and it drove Tifa insane. She just didn't get it! Why was Namine always mean to her? She didn't do anything to Namine! _

_Why couldn't she be more like Kairi? Kairi was a sweet girl. You would never expect something mean from Kairi. Kairi was so easy to get along with, but Namine was so… so… difficult! _

_As these thoughts went through Tifa's mind, she noticed something under Namine's pillow of Namine and Kairi's room. She removed the covering and saw a picture of a man, a woman, and two girls. She was surprised to notice that the girls were Kairi and Namine! _

"_That's Mr. Narumi," she noted. It was true, if Mr. Narumi wasn't depressed all the time- despite him recovering- he would look exactly like this. Then her gaze dropped to the woman in the picture. _

_She was beautiful, Tifa noted. She had sparkling blue eyes and long brown hair. Her face looked as if a blemish never touched it! The woman was smiling so happily, they all were smiling happily, even Namine! _

"_He says I have her eyes" a voice startled her, causing her to turn around and look at the newcomer; it was Namine. _

"_What?" Tifa asked confused. This was the first time that Namine had said something to her without an insult being said in the sentence! _

"_Her eyes," she repeated, "Dad says I have her eyes," she told Tifa with a look of annoyance. Tifa's mind finally clicked; Namine was talking about the woman in the picture. She then realized that Namine's dad was right, she did have the woman's eyes. _

"_They're very pretty," said Tifa, which was true, Namine's eyes were a very pretty crystal blue. She couldn't help but compliment her. Maybe Namine will start to like her then. _

"_I hate them" she replied with contempt, startling Tifa. "I hate my eyes and I hate that woman! Because it was because of her that I have these eyes!" Tifa didn't know how to respond to that reply so she just stayed silent. _

"_I hate her because she made my dad sad, I hate these eyes because they remind my dad of her and thereby make him even more sad!" by now Namine was shouting. _

_Tifa didn't know why the girl was telling her this, but she was willing to listen. Her gazed drifted back to the picture, but Namine's next statement caused her to look up. _

"_You look almost like her, you act almost like her, You bitch! Why can't you just leave! I can't stand it! You drive me crazy!" the blonde shouted angrily at Tifa. _

_Suddenly, it all made sense now. That's why Namine didn't like her! That's why Namine constantly insulted her and called her names. That's why Namine looked at her with hatred. Because she looked almost like the woman in the picture! _

_But that didn't make sense! Why would Namine hate her because she looked and acted like someone in a picture, that is until it finally all came together when she remembered Namine saying _

"I hate my eyes and I hate that woman! Because it was because of her that I have these eyes!"_ the words repeated over and over in Tifa's head. _

"_That woman… is your mother, isn't it?" she asked the child. The child seemed to look at her with surprise for a second, but she then gave her the impassive look she always did. _

"_Took you long enough, old hag!" she told the eight-year-old as if she wasn't just shouting a minute ago and crossed her arms. "Although, I doubt that woman really deserves to be called a mother," she said._

_Tifa then felt guilty. Of course Namine would be sort of traumatized from her mother's departure and be a little mean to others because of it. She had to remember that Namine was smarter than Kairi, she was not ignorant like Kairi and knew exactly what was going on around her. Tifa realized that she was not dealing with the mind of a child, she had to talk to Namine like she would talk to anyone and not someone who is younger than her and is believed to have less knowledge. She sighed and knew what she had to do. _

"_Well, I can't say I understand because you know what? I don't. I'm not one of those people who's going to tell you sentimental crap and fill your head with lies. I swear to you that" Tifa told her with a smile, "So if you want to rant or cry or tell me anything. I'll be honest with you and treat you like a person and not a child, okay?" she asked Namine. _

_There was silence in the room, but what surprised the eight-year-old was that Namine had approached her quietly as if she was wondering what would happen if she was going to do her next move or not. _

_Little arms encircled Tifa's waist and a head nuzzled into her stomach. Tifa was speechless. _

"_That would be nice, old hag, but remember no sentimental crap, just the absolute truth, okay?" she asked the brunette. Tifa noticed that "old hag" wasn't said with loathing, it sounded like endearment. _

"_Nothing but the truth" Tifa replied with a smile. On that day, an odd companionship was born. A companionship that changed into friendship that changed into sisterhood. _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback _

"Hello, old hag! You still in there?" a hand was waving in her face and Tifa slapped it away in surprise.

"Wha?" she asked confused. She noticed Namine looking at her with worry, but it soon turned to irritation. To show said irritation, she threw her hands up in the air as if to say 'I give up' and said.

"Mou! I just told you on what my column was on and you weren't even listening to a word I said! It was a total complete waste of my breath! Is your flashback more important than your best friend or something?" Namine asked Tifa. Tifa just kept quiet and stared at her best friend/little sister; how did she always know when someone had a flashback?

"How do you do that?" asked Tifa. It truly astounded her on how Namine could always pinpoint someone having a flashback. One of her many weird traits, she supposed.

"Do what? Rant?" asked Namine confused. Did Tifa get in too deep in her flashback or something?

"No, know when someone's having a flashback?" asked Tifa shaking her head. She could still not believe this girl used to be such an angst child.

"Oh, that's easy! I have this thing called a flashback sense so whenever someone has a flashback nearby I can kinda sense it in a way!" Namine grinned at her reply. Tifa sweatdropped. Yes, it was _very _hard to believe Namine was such an angst when she was just a child.

"Well, anyway, you're wasting my time! I have to get writing, y'know" Namine said as she ushered her boss out of her small cozy office. "Go bother the other employees" she told Tifa.

"Aw, but bothering you is so much fun!" Tifa said before Namine shut the door on her face. Tifa shook her head in amusement as well as the other workers who worked in the small newspaper shop. Namine was doing much better off than when she had first met her. These days she was happy-go-lucky combined with clumsy-dense-person-with- no-common-sense at times. She was still a smart ass with ill manners unless it really counts and she likes to play with people's minds a bit, but Namine didn't contain only hatred for the world and scorn at everyone like when she was younger. It was like Namine was an adult who became a child in a way instead of the other way around like her twin sister Kairi who was a very intelligent and mature woman.

Tifa again shook her head, but Namine still did have _some _hatred still left in her like she had shown today, but Tifa knew that she couldn't take all the hatred away. No, that task would befall on someone else's shoulders. Someone who would care for Namine and love her for the rest of their life. She sighed again- she had been doing that a lot lately, she noticed- and felt herself remembering something she told Namine-

"Don't even think about going into another flashback!" Namine's voice came through the door and everyone in the room laughed, including Tifa. Yes, the Seventh Heaven was more like a family than a newspaper column. The small staff and the small work building became a second family in a second home. Everyone knew each other and everyone got along with one another like a real family did. Namine was the youngest on the newspaper column so everyone tended to dot on her from time to time and find Namine's… um… uniqueness to be very amusing and spirit lifting.

"Sorry, Namine" replied a laughing Tifa. "I promise not to have any flashbacks from now on," she promised the blonde. She could actually hear the blonde pouting and huffing.

"That's better" came Tifa's reply, and Tifa left her be while she went to her office as well. Only Namine and Tifa had offices while everyone else worked in the main room. No one objected or hated this because Tifa was their boss and they really admire and appreciate her and they felt Namine definitely deserved it because she really was a talented writer despite her young age. They often said she could go into the publishing business with her work and publish novels, but Namine being Namine said embarrassed that they weren't that good and that she should just stick to the newspaper business, which always disappoints her coworkers because they think she is capable for so much more. Everyone knew how hard it was for Namine since she was currently having financial problems and stuff. Her sister Kairi, who was living somewhere near Uptown New York City, offered to help, but Namine declined saying that it wasn't her responsibility to pay and that she was the younger twin of them. Younger twins don't dot upon the older twins, she told her and patted her head like a mother would to her child. If Namine had gone into the novel business, she would probably be living in Uptown by now, but they shook their heads sadly. Namine hated Uptown; even if she did get rich, she would never set one foot in Uptown as long as she lived and they knew it. It was a shame because that girl didn't deserve the hardships of poverty.

Suddenly the little bell at the door chimed signaling that someone had entered. He was a man with red hair in a ponytail, a silver ring in his right ear, and dressed a little classy to be from the slums or near the slums like they were. He cleared his throat and spoke making some of the females swoon

"Where might I find Tifa Lockheart?" he asked. They all pointed to the office on the right of the main room. The plank on the door said 'Tifa Lockheart'.

"Thank you" he said and went to knock on the woman's door. Tifa came a few seconds later looking at the man in confusion and surprise evident on her features.

"Can I help you…" she looked at him in surprise.

"Reno, Miss Lockheart, may I come in?" he asked her acting completely professional. Tifa, not wanting to make a scene, moved aside to let him in her office, but just before shutting the door, she said to the people in the main room.

"Don't you dare try and eavesdrop" she told them. They all had a look of disappointment clearly stating they were going to do just that. It seems some of Namine has rubbed off on her other employees. She was going to have a talk with that girl later.

After she shut the door, she gestured Reno to sit. He complied and his posture was something you wouldn't expect from a sophisticated man, but then again, sophisticated men didn't have piercing.

"So, what do I owe the visit, Mr. Reno?" she asked as she folded her hands on her desk.

"First of all, don't call me 'Mr.' I'm the same age as you doll face, and don't act like this is the first time we've seen each other either, Tifa" he told her with a look of irritation.

"Well, no offense but that's the past now Reno, you and I have nothing to discuss about what went between us years back. Now tell me, what did you really come for?" she glared at him. She was in no mood to reminisce old times with him. Reno sighed and ran a hand through his red hair. He did that when he was frustrated she told herself as she remembered all the times he did that before she could even stop herself.

"Well, it goes like this…"

* * *

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Oooh, what's he gonna tell Tifa? how do they know each other? How come Namine can sense flashbacks? Why am I asking you guys this when I already know the answers to these questions. Anyways that's all for now! **

**Chapter 2: Preview **

_"WHAT?" Namine exclaimed and Kairi was sure China heard her twin. "Are you crazy? did you happen to hit your head? I can't- no, I won't do it!" she shouted. Kairi sighed at her sister's stubborness. _

_"Namine," she began, "This is the only way, since you refuse to let me help you, this is the only option" Kairi explained to the whining blonde who had anime tears streaming down her face at the moment. She began spluttering like a blabbling idiot._

_"b-b-but..." _

**Well, that's all I can give you guys. See ya next time! **

**PLEASE REVIEW! **


	2. Namine Narumi: The Job Hunter

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Hiya people! I'm so glad that this story is being read! Anyway, I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as I come back from my vacation so please enjoy this chapter! **

**Roxas: come on, say it.**

**Karin Ochibi-chan: I… do… n-n-NOT! own… Kingdom Hearts… huff… huff… there I said it! Are you happy!? **

**Axel: Yes we are! **

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**Namine Narumi- The Job Hunter**

"EVICTED!?" came the outraged shout from Namine Narumi as she gazed at her work- _former_ work place. It was true, for there was indeed a sign at the door saying

'_To the employees of Seventh Heaven, The Seven Heaven as of now is out of business, we apologize for the convenience and hope you have a nice day'_

"Nice day, my ass!" Namine screeched, "How are we suppose to have a nice day when we were practically fired!" she yelled at the building. She was not the only one who was angry about the situation. All the Seventh Heaven employees were there with her wearing either shock or anger written on their faces. Some employees even began shouting with her.

"What are we supposed to do now!? I got a family to feed at home!"

"I need to pay the bills or I'll get kicked out and live on the streets!"

"Who's the bastard who closed down the Seventh Heaven!?"

"Calm down, everyone!" Reno stated. They all calmed down, but he knew they wanted answers and they were going to get those answers, dammit! Reno cleared his throat and began his explanation.

"For the past five months the Seventh Heaven has been struggling with finances. People haven't been really buying the newspaper that much lately," he told them.

"That's because were so poor! Most of us in the slums can't ever afford a newspaper!" Namine whispered to someone beside her, who in turn, nodded their head in agreement.

"Anyway, the members of the board committee in New York City have decided to put the Seventh Heave out of business to save money and fuss. The property is being sold and-"

"SOLD!?" Namine interrupted Reno with an outraged yell, "You can't just sell this place! It's not some newspaper column! It's like a home with a family and not just coworkers!" Namine told him. Another reason why she hated rich people: they cared more about money than the essence of family. Reno looked at the blonde with sympathy.

"Ms. Narumi… was it?" he asked her. She nodded her head to confirm. "I firmly agree with you on this, but It's not my place! This decision was made by the most powerful CEOs and mayor in New York City! If I had it my way, this place would still be in business and have a better funding, but this is the real world here people! And sometimes these things happen" he told them all sincerely. Did they think he was enjoying this? He knew this newspaper was Tifa's dream and he hated taking that from her. Even if she said to just forget the past, but that doesn't mean that his regrets have gone with it! He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration at himself.

"Anyway, Ms. Narumi, I hear you're a great writer. Maybe this is a sign to just forget about the newspaper business and do something more productive with your talents. I'm sure you would make a lot of money," he explained to the blonde girl. How could he not have heard that? He remembered Tifa telling him about her and about how much potential she had. It was probably for the best that she went into publishing instead.

"Good day," he told the unemployed employees as he walked away. The people still stood there, gazing at the Seventh Heaven as if they still couldn't believe what was happening. Then for what seemed like an eternity, they all began to leave.

"Wait!" Namine's voice stopped them. They all turned to her as she looked at them in anger in desperation. "That's just it!? You're going to give up like that!? What about the Seventh Heaven?" she shouted at them.

"Namine, face it, It's a lost cause. You heard what that guy said. Even the mayor agreed to this," one of the workers told her. It was a man in his late thirties.

"So what? Screw him! I bet that if we fight this long enough then we can win!" Namine told them confidently. Not one looked as if they would believe her.

"Namine" a woman began, "You're still young, so filled with ideas, but you have to understand that's not the way things work. This is the real world and sometimes the good people don't win," she told the blonde. The others nodded.

"But, Mrs. Burns-" Namine started, but was interrupted by another worker in his fifties.

"Namine, this isn't some fairy tale! Please just leave it alone, go on with your life and get a nice job. You certainly deserve a better life than what's been given to you" he told her.

Namine looked at them all in despair. They were just giving up? They still had a chance, she knew they did! Why couldn't they see that? With a defeated sigh escaping her lips, she walked away from them and the only place where she felt truly at home.

Her walk to her apartment felt more like a journey through the desert. She felt like everything was closing in on her and that it was all being blown away or buried in the sand of the Sahara desert. However, the feeling of burning didn't last long because she felt rain drops upon her head and shoulders. She gazed up at the clouds and above. A bitter smile came across her face.

_It seems that even the heavens weep in our sorrow, _she thought, and in a strange poetic sense she was right.

When Namine finally get back to her apartment, she unlocked her door and turned on the lights since the rain was getting worse outside and she began to hear thunder. Her cat was terrified of thunder so Namine made sure to turn on the lights because it lets Moogle know that she's home.

And speak of the devil, a small orange cat came in the room and approached his master welcoming her home by rubbing against her legs and purring. Namine responded by picking up the cat and carrying it to the couch while petting it to its hearts content.

"Hey baby, how are you?" Namine asked as she scratched Moogle behind his ear. Her reply was a purr of satisfaction. "I got fired today, y'know?" she told the cat, who looked at her strangely. "Well, actually the Seventh Heaven was evicted- put out of business by some CEO's and the mayor himself, can you believe that?" she asked him. Her reply was a hiss in disapproval.

Moogle didn't like what he was hearing. His master said she was fired; he knew that meant she was out of a job, and she was not happy about it. He hated it when his master was unhappy and swears to scratch away the object of her unhappiness. You may think that Namine had gone crazy for telling all this stuff to her cat, but Moogle was a smart cat just like Namine was a smart girl; so, she never doubted the cat's intelligence because she knew she hated it when everyone doubted her intelligence, even when she was a child. It was ridiculous to her actually.

Moogle rubbed his cheek against Namine's in an act of comfort and she petted him in thanks. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, startling cat and owner. Namine got up from the couch and Moogle was at her heels. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Leon- her best guy friend and landlord there.

"Hey Squall, what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked. She knew being called 'Squall' annoyed him so she took it into mind that she would call him that.

"That's Leon" he said and walked in her door when she moved aside. "I heard about the Seventh Heaven. Sorry about that" he told her. Namine shut the door and took a place on the couch again.

"Yeah, it was a total outrage. Thanks for the sympathy though" she said. Leon leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He was a couple years older than Namine and had shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes, and had a scar across his face. She knew Leon was sensitive about the scar, though he never showed it. Only she, Kairi, and Tifa know the story behind the scar and made sure never to bring up the subject incase old wounds would reopen.

Leon was like an older brother to Namine. Truth be told, she actually knew him longer than Kairi did. He saved her from a bunch of thugs while walking home from the grocery shopping when she was about five-years-old. She remembered how scared Tifa was when she had come home to the Narumi apartment all cut up and bruised with an equally injured Leon behind her. Kairi had been asleep at the time and it was a good thing too or else she would have screamed at the sight of her sister in that state. Namine swore that she would never let Kairi she what horrors bestow upon those who live in the slums, and so far she had been doing a pretty good job even to this day even if Kairi doesn't live in the slums anymore.

"Actually, I didn't come here just to give you sympathy," Leon said as he looked at her with pity. "I came here to warn you on the rent deposits you've been giving me," he told her. Namine groaned. She always had trouble paying the rent on time. Actually, she never paid the rent on time, but that was beside the point!

"Namine, I can't give you special treatment. A dead line is a dead line, you should know that more than anyone in this building," Leon told her.

"I know, I know," she replied irritated, "but come on, I do end up paying it, don't I?" she asked in irritation.

"Namine, you're missing the point. I'm saying you can't pay the rent late or you're out of here," Leon said in frustration.

"I don't pay it late!" she wagged a finger at him, "I just don't pay it on time, that's all" she said and stuck her tongue out at him making him chuckle at her joke.

"Just, please, Namine, you have to pay the rent by this Friday so I suggest you find another job and stat" he said seriously. "Why don't you go into writing or something? It would get you a better apartment" that was true. Namine's apartment was one roomed with only an old couch that turns into a springy bed, an old television that hardly ever got a signal, a lamp, a three legged coffee table that lost the fourth leg a while back, a small kitchen (well if you could call it that since it's only consisted of a fridge, an oven, a sink and small cabinets), and a small bathroom with a tub, toilet, mirror, and sink. Her apartment was anything but glamorous.

Namine gave off a grin and picked up Moogle again. Moogle purred as she scratched behind his left ear.

"No way, Squally, this place is my palace and I wouldn't trade it for the world!" she said with conviction. Leon shook his head in amusement.

"If it's that important, then I suggest you get a job to keep it" he told her and left the small apartment. Everything was silent except the distant sound of thunder and Moogle's purring. Namine sighed and ran her free hand through her hair.

"First I get my job evicted and now my home is being evicted," she muttered to herself. "Well, Moogle, looks like I get my work cut out for me. You think I can do it?" she asked the orange fur ball. Moogle licked her cheek and Namine smiled.

"Yeah, I think I can, too"

* * *

The next day Namine stood in front of a steady café outside of the slums. She dressed in her best pair of jeans and a nice t-shirt with tennis sneakers. Her hair was in a low ponytail and her glasses were ever present on her face. She took a deep breath and walked in with a confident aura. Leon told her to be confident and relax, but also be professional.

"May I help you?" asked an older woman with silver hair and crimson eyes. Namine's mouth dropped in disbelief.

"Fuu?" she asked with uncertainty. The woman looked at her in surprise before a smile came to her face.

"Namine? Is that you?" she asked. Namine wore a huge smile and hugged her long time friend.

"I haven't seen you in ages! How are you?" Fuu asked. Fuu Namora was Namine's friend from when they were kids. Fuu was the one who taught Namine everything she knows about the slum life. Basically, Namine's street smarts came from Fuu and Namine was entirely grateful. She knew Fuu since she was only two years old before her mother left them. However, Fuu had moved away when Namine was seven into the middle class district since her brother found a better job. Namine felt happy seeing her pal again.

"You know, job being evicted, home rent coming up, Squall giving crap, the usual I would say" Namine told her friend sarcastically. Fuu rolled her eyes at the young blonde.

"I heard about that, the Seventh Heaven was a great place. I remember my brother worked there before we moved. It really is a shame. So I'm guessing you're the person who's coming in for the interview?" Fuu asker her. Namine gave off a nervous grin and nodded hesitantly.

"Well then, the office is in the back and go through the door to the left, and don't worry about it so much. Just act calm and professional, okay?" Fuu patted her friend on the shoulder and left to deliver the given food to the given customer.

Namine followed Fuu's instructions and soon found herself standing in front of the office door. She gulped and raised her hand to knock, but the door opened to reveal a man in his late forties.

"Ah, you must be Namine, please come have a seat" he said and moved aside for her to enter while looking her up and down. Namine noticed, but she didn't say anything for the sake of this interview. The man sat down across from her with his hands folded on his desk. Namine was very grateful for the object between them.

The man had gray hair and an eye patch over his right eye. Must have been from an accident, she figured. After all, Downtown New York City, where they are currently located along with the slums of New York, wasn't a very safe place. As she had stated before: rape, suicide, gang fights, robbery, murder, the list goes on and on really.

"Now, how old are you?" he asked her. Namine raised an eyebrow in confusion, what did that have anything to do with catering? She decided to distract him from that question.

"Um, excuse me, but who are you exactly?" she prayed he would answer and forget about his question. She was not comfortable with answering something personal like age, likes, dislikes, etc. to this person.

"Oh, pardon me, I'm Xigbar Risamuri" he told her. Namine mentally sighed in relief when he didn't ask the earlier question. "Now, about my question on your age…" Crap! She spoke too soon.

"Mr. Risamuri-"

"Please, call me Xigbar" he interrupted her. Namine seriously didn't like this guy. She cleared her throat and stood her ground.

"Mr. Risamuri," he was just about to correct her when she put her hand up to stop him, "I'm not an expert, but I do know that in a job interview that you keep things formally if you want the job and not get on a familiar basis" she told him firmly.

"Why, Namine, you already have the job" he told her. She eyed him with suspicion as he rose from his seat and kneeled down next to her. Her eye twitched when he took her hand. "You're prefect," he told her. If her eye twitched before it was really twitching when he did his next move.

_WHAM!!!!!!!!!_

Namine gave him a straight uppercut that sent him into the wall. He groaned when she kicked him where the sun don't shine and shouted.

"If having your hands roaming all over me is the requirement to have this job then you can frickin keep it!" she yelled, slammed the office door, and stormed out. Namine sat on the curve outside the café and let herself cool down a bit before going to the next job interview that was in an hour. Fuu, having seen Namine storm out, came outside and sat next to her on the curve. She had a weird sense of deja vu from when both of them were younger. Fuu and Namine would always sit on the curve outside the apartment complex both of them lived in and just talked about anything.

"Did something happen?" she asked her friend. Her reply was a couple of mutters she could make out as "stupid perv" and "I'm finding a job with a female boss". Fuu was getting worried for her friend at this point.

"Namine?" she shook the younger woman's shoulder, which got Namine's attention and she turned to the silver haired woman.

"What is it, Fuu?" she asked.

"Is everything okay? You just stormed out of the café like a child who was denied an ice cream" Fuu told her. Namine then glared at the pavement instead of looking at Fuu. Her hands were clenched on her lap tightly.

"The interviewer wasn't looking for a new waitress apparently" was all she said. Fuu then got the drift and hugged Namine. She couldn't believed the interviewer tried to get into her friend's pants. Poor Namine, Fuu knew how much she hated the subject of sexual intercourse. Just about everyone in the slums hates that unless they're rapists or they are willing or want children, but mostly everyone avoided sexual intercourse.

"I'm only sorry that I didn't get to make sure he never has children," said Namine with a huff. Fuu laughed at her friend and gave her a hug.

"But what I don't get is why he wanted to bed you when you have those dorky glasses, honestly Namine, you look like Haruhi Fujioka from that anime _Ouran High School Host club_… and you probably act like her at times too" said Fuu. Namine snorted.

"Just because I wear glasses, am poor, blunt, have no conscience with the differences between the genders, very smart, and don't care how I look doesn't mean I'm the real world Haruhi Fujioka" she told her friend, who had a big sweatdrop on the back of her head. Namine just described every single trait that Haruhi has. She then thought for a second and replied.

"Yeah, you're right; I'd say you're a combination of Naruto Uzumaki from _Naruto _and Haruhi from _Ouran_" Fuu's reply was a light whack on the arm and a "shut up" from Namine. No matter how many years they have been apart, they still were both crazy anime fanatics.

* * *

"So what are you going to do now?" asked Fuu as they sat together on the curve after Namine had told Fuu on what happened after she left. Namine made a cute thinking expression and answered

"Probably hunt for more jobs until I'm hired" Namine replied.

"What if you don't get a job by Friday?" Fuu asked. Namine took a moment to think about this. Then she stood up with a new fire burning in her eyes.

"I will get a job! I have four days left! That's plenty of time! Boo-yah!" Namine shouted as she pumped a fist in the air in excitement. Fuu could only pray that Namine was right about this. Noticing her friend with a disbelieving look, Namine said

"Don't worry Fuu, I'll get a job, it will be easy!"

* * *

Apparently getting a job wasn't easy…

Namine growled in frustration. Her third day of job hunting was ending and she only had one day left. She didn't know if Leon was serious about kicking her out, but she didn't want to find out…

A sudden knock at the door cut Namine from her thoughts. Moogle was too busy eating to notice the knock so no Moogle was at her heels. However, when she opened the door, she was shocked as ever.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" asked the outraged twin of Namine Narumi. All Namine could do was stare.

Kairi Narumi was Namine's younger twin sister who was now slightly taller than Namine and had a mature, sophisticated aura around her, even for a 21-year-old. Her violet eyes shown kindness and understanding, but right now they looked like they wanted to kill Namine. Her hair, unlike Namine's, was down to her waist and was the rich color of auburn. Her eyes, unlike Namine's, were not covered by big thick glasses.

"Tell you what?" Namine asked. Was their something she forgot? Maybe she should've checked the calendar this week in case their was a big event she forgot again.

"That the Seventh Heaven has been evicted!" Kairi shouted outraged. How dare Namine not tell her this! She found out only a couple of hours ago from her boyfriend, Cloud, who asked her "is your sister doing alright?" then she got the full story from Leon and she was completely and utterly angry!

"Oh, I didn't think that it was important" Namine stated. This was true, Namine didn't think that Kairi needed to know about her problems. Unlike Namine, Kairi had the pressure of schoolwork and what not; so, why burden the already burdened younger sister? And isn't there some unwritten rule that the older sibling doesn't rely on the younger sibling and mooches off of them. It was absurd in Namine's opinion.

Kairi lived with her boyfriend, Cloud Strife, in a lower part of Uptown since the guy was pretty successful in his job. Namine met him a couple of times, but despite his apparent richness, he was okay; he was nice to her, didn't scorn her, and oh, he complimented her writing and even visited the Seventh Heaven to say hi to her and deliver a message from Kairi from time to time.

Since Cloud was rich, Kairi got the pleasures Namine didn't. Kairi got to go to one of the best colleges with Cloud in the Country. As for Namine who couldn't afford to go to college, worked for Tifa instead. Cloud and Kairi offered to pay tuition for her to go with them (Cloud had a lot of money so it was no problem) to college, but Namine declined saying that she would stick to the unwritten rule, which confused Kairi and Cloud, but Tifa told them that Namine didn't need college since she was smarter than any college student. "It would be wasting her time," Tifa told them. Namine was very grateful to Tifa for that little convincing. Despite Kairi getting more things than Namine did, Namine was never jealous or sad. She loved Kairi and was glad someone was taking care of her and giving her the life Namine could never give.

"Not important?" Kairi asked with a tone of hurt, "Namine, I'm your sister, of course it's important!" she told the blonde. She could see Kairi was on the verge of tears. Uh oh, Namine forgot that Kairi was pretty sensitive. Oh darn!

"Look Kairi, I didn't mean it like that, it's just that you have your own life and I have mine; so, I see no way to bother your life with my problems" Namine explained with no trace of malice, but Kairi looked even more hurt. Oops, she just made it worse! Curse her bluntness at times!

Kairi hugged her sister and sobbed on her shoulder. Namine didn't know what to do when Kairi was emotional so she just settled for hugging her back and rubbing it in soothing motions.

_That's it Namine, calm her down and _don't _open your mouth, _Namine told herself.

"Why do you always let me depend on you, but you never depend on me?" she sobbed. "You depend on Tifa! You always depended on Tifa! When you were with me you always made sure I was safe and protected, but Namine, I want to protect you too! I want to help you!" she hugged Namine tighter.

Namine sighed and stroked her sister's hair. Kairi just didn't understand. By keeping Kairi in the dark, she was protecting her. Saving her from witnessing the horrors that Namine saw. Since Namine was smarter even as a child, she understood more things than Kairi. She wasn't ignorant like Kairi and thereby had to suffer from it. Kairi was ignorant to what the real world was like, even now. What it was like to find out your friend was raped; see people shooting at each other day in and day out, seeing dead bodies on the street, from just walking home, and no one dared to do anything about it. It was a harsh world and Namine knew it. Namine's eyes may show innocence and her personality often shown innocence, but her mind was far from innocence, being tainted with those sights since you were a child. Kairi didn't need to see what Namine saw, she didn't need to know what Namine knows, and she _definitely_ didn't need to find out about it.

But then again, if Kairi never helped her, the guilt and failure would drive her insane! Maybe she should let Kairi help her, it's not like her ignorance will be demolished by doing it.

"Okay, Kai, I'll let you help me find a job, nothing else, okay?" Namine asked. Kairi stopped her crying and looked at Namine in surprise. Her face then broke into a smile and she wiped her tears away.

"Correction, I already found you a job, and I think you'll like it!" Kairi told her happily as if she wasn't crying a second ago. Kairi brought out her purse and dug out an advertisement and handed it to Namine. Namine looked at her sister in confusion. How could Kairi find a job that fast? Kairi sensing her sister's question, replied

"Well, this ad wasn't exactly inconspicuous. It was all over Uptown: televisions, billboards, on websites, etc." Kairi explained to her twin.

"Rich bastards" Namine muttered as she looked at the ad.

_HELP WANTED _

_Top five bachelors in need of a house cleaner! _

_Must have good cooking skills and cleaning skills. _

_If you think you are perfect for the job, go to the studio on Evergreen Ave. in Uptown New York._

_If you are interested, the date is on Thursday, October 22__nd_

_We'll be waiting for you. _

_Signed by: _

_Riku Sarutobi, _

_Axel Motomaki, _

_Demyx Hisagira, _

_Sora Niwaharu, _

_Roxas Tsukatori _

"Hell no" stated Namine when she finished reading. Kairi looked at her sister in disbelief.

"What do you mean 'Hell no'! Namine, you're perfect for this job, and it pays a lot! It's the answer to all you problems! How can you deny that?" asked Kairi while waving her arms. Namine sighed and began to explain.

"This ad sounds more like some guys trying to have a good time more than trying to find a maid" she told her twin.

"Not true! These guys aren't like that! I've seen them on television all the time! They're very rich, handsome, respected men! Sure they have a fan club and a bunch of fan girls, but this could be a fairy tale come true for you!" Kairi whined.

"How is this a fairy tale come true?" Namine asked bluntly, "I've been told this is the real world and stuff like that doesn't happen in the real world apparently, and besides, it's in Uptown! I wouldn't step one foot in that place even if my life depended on it!" Namine said as she crossed her arms across her chest stubbornly. Kairi shook her head at her sister's stubbornness. She knew Namine still had wounds that needed to be healed after what their mother did, but she needs to learn that not all rich people are bad. She did get use to Cloud after a while; maybe she would change her mind about all of the rich people when this was over.

"Well, that's too bad because I already sent in your application" Kairi told her with a smirk. Namine snapped her head in Kairi's direction after she heard that.

"WHAT?" Namine exclaimed and Kairi was sure China heard her twin. "Are you crazy? Did you happen to hit your head? I can't- no, I won't do it!" she shouted. Kairi sighed at her sister's stubbornness.

"Namine," she began, "This is the only way, since you refuse to let me help you, this is the only option," Kairi explained to the whining blonde who had anime tears streaming down her face at the moment. She began spluttering like a babbling idiot.

"B-b-but…"

"No buts, you're doing that interview tomorrow and that's final!" Kairi wagged a finger at her. "And if you even think of making a break for it, Tifa-nee-chan and Leon will drag you there, is that clear?" Kairi asked.

Her answer was another sob of misery.

**

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**Karin Ochibi-chan: Yay, chapter two is done! I'm so glad I got this finished before I left to go to Vegas and the grand canyon, but don't worry, I'm going to write the chapter while I'm there because hotel cable usually sucks and my mom won't let me rent movies or bring a DVD player for that matter. **

**Sora: Author-chan, when am I going to come in the story? (teary eyed) **

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Don't worry, you guys come in the next chapter. Besides this story is about Namine, not you! **

**Riku: Yeah, but we have an important part too! **

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Alright, quit whining! Here's the preview.**

**Chapter 3 preview: **

_The whole place was filled with beautiful woman with lots of make up and gaudy or skimpy clothing. Namine was almost tempted to say 'Here's twenty bucks, go buy the rest of it', but she held her tongue. These girls were richer than her and it wasn't best to draw attention to herself really. _

_Now that she had a good look at them all, she had to say that not one of them looked as if they had worked a day in their life! Suddenly Kairi's words came floating back to her. _

"Not true! These guys aren't like that! I've seen them on television all the time! They're very rich, handsome, respected men! Sure they have a fan club and a bunch of fan girls, but this could be a fairy tale come true for you!"

_Yes, that must be it! They were all fan girls probably or just girls who want a good time. They didn't care about the job at all! All they cared about was being laid!_

"_Bunch of rich bastards" Namine muttered. She _was_ the only girl here who wasn't from Uptown and _was_ the only one who actually came here to get a job so she didn't give if she was insulting these girls, because it was true! They don't even care about making a living for pete's sake like she did! _

**Well, that's all for now! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! See ya next time! **

**Demyx: we weren't in that at all! **

**Karin Ochibi-chan: I don't wanna spoil it too much. Now come on, let's get some cookies. **

**Demyx, Axel, Sora, Riku, and Roxas: YAY! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**


	3. Namine Narumi: The Interviewee

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Hiya! I'm back! Sorry I didn't update as soon as I have hoped, but I just wanted to chill for a while and take a break from writing for a bit. I also want to thank ****Vogue Addiction****SuperJgirl5****, and ****xxxKingdom-Hearts-Fanxx**** for reviewing my story. I hope to have more reviews after this chapter is posted because it will give me motivation to continue faster. **

**Roxas: In other words, you're lazy**

**Axel: Super lazy**

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Am not! **

**Riku: this is coming from the person who preoccupied herself with watching anime on youtube 24/7 instead of updating**

**Karin Ochibi-chan: leave me alone! **

**Sora: Author-chan, don't cry! **

**Demyx: Yeah, we'll hit them for you! **

**Riku, Axel, and Roxas: Oh crap! **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts! Wwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

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**Recap: **

"_No buts, You're doing that interview tomorrow and that's final!" Kairi wagged a finger at her. "And if you even think of making a break for it, Tifa-nee-chan and Leon will drag you there, is that clear?" Kairi asked. _

_Her reply was another sob of misery._

**End of Recap: **

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**Namine Narumi- The Interviewee **

"Is it too late to bribe you two into taking me home?" asked Namine as she, Tifa, and Leon all stood in front of the studio where the interviews would be held. Apparently, Kairi had to call Tifa and Leon to go with Namine because Namine was trying to make a break for it. Oh sure, it doesn't sound so bad.

But in reality, they literary had to drag the blonde girl- who was kicking, thrashing, and bawling her eyes out, they might add- the whole way there. They each had a hand on her shoulders to restrain her from running away like a dog with its tail between its legs.

"Sorry, Namine, this is for your own good," said Tifa. Namine turned to glare at the woman with a dull look on her face.

"How is practically breaking into my apartment, dragging me all the way to my most hated place- against my will, I might add- and not giving me a chance to have breakfast while getting an interview for a job that will most likely suck for my own good?" Namine asked Tifa. To prove the blonde's point, her stomach growled in annoyance also. It was true, they had come in and made her miss her favorite meal of the day, and not a lot of people are still conscience after making her miss her favorite meal.

"Look, Namine, jobs aren't supposed to be fun" Leon told her. As the only male in the group and Namine's big brother, he had to set her straight and force her into that studio without complaint!

"You're just saying bullshit to me because you like Kairi" Namine told him bluntly causing Tifa to look at Leon in surprise and Leon to blush. And if Leon blushes about someone accusing him of liking someone then that someone is right. Tifa grinned evilly as she went into teasing mode.

"You like Kairi? Well, I guess that would explain a few things like how you never call Kairi a little sister to you or the fact that you don't like Cloud that much" Tifa snickered as Leon glared at the brunette and Namine laughed evilly.

"Namine, I'm going to kill you," Leon told her. Namine just laughed even harder.

"Oh come on, It's only Tifa. It's not like I told the whole fricken world about it!" Namine said as she crossed her arms across her chest. Suddenly, Leon had an evil grin on his face.

"True you didn't, but that doesn't stop the fact that you're in for some payback," he told her. Namine snorted and smirked at him.

"What cha ya gonna do, Squally? Tell on me to Kairi?" Namine asked. Her reply was that Leon lifted her in the air and over his shoulder as he walked towards the studio with Tifa laughing the whole way.

"Wait! Leon! I take it back! Don't take me in there! I'm begging you!" Namine shouted earning a couple of stares from the passersby. Leon and Tifa just laughed at the blonde's gesture of folding her hands together in a pleading motion as if she were begging for her life.

"Sorry, Namine, what goes around comes around" Leon told her as they neared the doors. They finally entered and placed Namine down and ran the hell out of there, leaving her to fend for herself. Namine took one look around before running straight towards the door. However, her plan of escape was foiled when the door opened thereby hitting her in the face and making her hit the wall like in the cartoons. It appeared to be Tifa who had opened the door.

"Namine, don't even try to make a run for it, Leon and I are standing guard outside, okay?" Tifa said having no idea that Namine was slammed against a wall. She shut the door and joined her place next to Leon, intending to tease the serious man about his crush on Kairi.

As for Namine, like in all cartoons, she slid down to the floor clutching her nose. Ouch, that was going to leave a mark. Why was she cursed with clumsiness that defines all laws of physics?! It's like she's an accident waiting to happen or something! Having no desire to stay and get hurt by the door of doom again, she moved away from it as far as possible while still clutching her nose. It was only until a few seconds later that she realized that it was bleeding.

"Oh goody! One of my famous major nosebleeds! Can't have an off day without it" Namine said in a fake cheery voice. Note the sarcasm here folks. Due to the major clumsiness of an accident-waiting-to-happen, she tended to get a lot of nosebleeds and other types of injuries.

Namine, still clutching her nose, went up to the woman who seemed to be the assistant in looking over the clients and supervising them while the interviews were going on and such. She kindly asked the woman if she could have something for her nose. The woman understood her dilemma, for she told Namine that it happened to her sometimes too, and led her over to her desk where a first aid kit was. She guided Namine to the bathroom and even helped her clean her nose up since it was a messy one. Once the cleaning was done, the woman placed a skinny bandage across Namine's nose where a bruise was forming.

"That was one nasty nose bleed, what happened anyway?" asked the woman. Now that Namine got a good look at her, she noticed the woman was a couple inches taller than her and looked to be 24-years-old. She had short black hair and brown eyes shining with cheerfulness and excitement as if she were a child. The woman wore plain jeans and a yellow tank top. Nothing fancy, just plain stuff as Namine wore.

"I experienced a cartoon moment" Namine told her, still kinda weary that she was talking to a rich girl, but found herself slowly getting comfortable.

"Was it the slamming against a wall because a door hit you or was a piano dropped on your head?" the girl asked seriously. Apparently, she really believes that cartoonage can happen in real life.

"I got slammed into a wall by someone opening a door," Namine told her. The black-haired woman hugged her.

"Oh you poor thing! What kind of moron would do that to such a cute girl? Where's the justice in this world?" the black-haired woman exclaimed with anime tears going down her face. Namine soon joined in with her.

"I know. What's the deal? I was just minding my own business trying to make a break for it because my twin forced me to take a job because I lost mine and I live in the slums and I'm close to losing my home too! Why must God treat us this way?!" Namine sobbed. The black-haired woman and Namine soon calmed down and she asked.

"You live in the slums?" asked the black-haired woman. Namine nodded and cursed herself. Great, now that woman was going to make fun of her, but instead, Namine felt the woman give her a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh wow, I never met someone from outside of Uptown before! Name's Yuffie Kisagari; I'm a rich girl wishing to be in your shoes!" the black-haired woman, Yuffie, exclaimed happily (A/n: is "Kisagari" Yuffie's last name?). When Namine was let go she looked at Yuffie strangely, but she had a happy expression on her face as she looked at the older woman.

"You want to be in the slums?" asked Namine confused. She wondered if this girl knew about the dangers of the slums. Yuffie nodded her head and sat on the counter of the bathroom.

"Yeah, all my life I've been told what to do and I was always restrained from doing the fun things in life, but since I'm rich, my parents expect me to be proper; so, I got a job and started living on my own like normal people do instead of relying on a fortune and taking over a company. I was disowned, but I'm happy," Yuffie told her. Namine was in tears.

"That was so beautiful! You sound like one of those heroines from a romance novel!" Namine sobbed as she hugged the girl in a bone-crushing hug of her own.

"What's your name anyway?" asked Yuffie. She thought this girl was very interesting and fun to be with. She wondered if they could be friends.

"I'm Namine Narumi! I'm half Japanese and I'm also Italian and Scottish too! I'm also a former journalist!" Namine introduced herself. Yuffie shook her outstretched hand enthusiastically.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Yuffie Kisagari! I'm all Chinese and a former heiress to a company," Yuffie told her happily. If anyone else was in the bathroom witnessing this moment, they probably would have a big sweatdrop on the back of their head. You would too! I mean, come on, who says they're a former heiress or a former journalist with a smile?!

"Yuffie? What are you doing? You're supposed to watch the people in the lobby while the interviews are going on," a young man with dark hair covering his right eye said in irritation. Yuffie looked at him apologetically.

"Sorry, Zexion, I was just helping my new friend Namine fix her bleeding nose which was caused by the door of doom" Yuffie told him with a straight face. Zexion sweatdropped at her reply and sighed.

"It's okay, just come out here already, the interviewees are getting restless and one even tried to go in the room while it wasn't their turn" he told her. Then he turned his attention to the blonde. He looked at her appearance, which was similar to Yuffie's- baggy jeans, sneakers, a black tank top with a blue old madras over it with her hair in a loose low ponytail and big thick glasses on her face. No designer label whatsoever: plain and simple.

"I'm guessing you're not from around here if you're dressed like that," Zexion told her without any malice. Yuffie hugged Namine's shoulders from behind as they headed back to the lobby.

"Nope, she's from outside of Uptown!" Yuffie told her coworker with a grin of happiness. Zexion then did something she would not have expected an Uptown person to do: he ruffled Namine's hair.

"Well, it's good to see a new face. Especially since it's not a face that's all up in the clouds and only cares about themselves," he told Namine. Yuffie nodded.

"Mmm, Zexion's right! We need more people who aren't conceited" Yuffie agreed with her friend. Namine looked at them both strangely and stated.

"Are you guys sure you're rich people?" asked Namine. Yuffie and Zexion nodded.

"However, we don't take pride in that" Zexion said. "I'm not surprised you're a little weary of us since we practically do nothing about your lifestyle except make it worse, but not all of us are like that" he told the blonde.

"Yeah! One day, me and Zexion are gonna get outta here and we can visit you all the time Namine!" Yuffie said excited.

"Are you guys dating or something?" asked Namine. It seemed as if her two new friends are very close and she wondered what their relationship was. Yuffie and Zexion chuckled at her question.

"No, we're cousins, but Zexion is a year older than me and wasn't disowned either" Yuffie told Namine. Namine furrowed her eyebrows in thought.

"I don't like your family if they disowned you because you didn't turn out like they wanted" Namine said, startling both cousins. "A parent should acknowledge their child and be able to accept their faults as well as their talents. If the child turns out to be something the parents disapprove of, isn't better to be proud of their child and encourage the fact that they are following their dreams and make accomplishments with their own two hands instead of shunning them and refusing to acknowledge the fact that they gave that child life?" Namine asked.

"You must've been a great journalist to say deep words," said Yuffie. She deeply admired this girl and could tell her cousin did the same. Namine gave off a sad smile as she thought about the Seventh Heaven.

"I got that a lot," she told them sadly. They didn't speak for the rest of the way and went their own ways. Zexion went into the interview room while Yuffie took up her post at the door to the room and Namine took a seat away from everyone and any doors to not attract attention. Now that she was fully seated, she took a look around at the other people- or should she say girls- in the room.

The whole place was filled with beautiful woman with lots of make up and gaudy or skimpy clothing. Namine was almost tempted to say 'Here's twenty bucks, go buy the rest of it', but she held her tongue. These girls were richer than her and it wasn't best to draw attention to herself really.

Now that she had a good look at them all, she had to say that not one of them looked as if they had worked a day in their life! Suddenly Kairi's words came floating back to her.

"_Not true! These guys aren't like that! I've seen them on television all the time! They're very rich, handsome, respected men! Sure they have a fan club and a bunch of fan girls, but this could be a fairy tale come true for you!"_

Yes, that must be it! They were all fan girls probably or just girls who want a good time. They didn't care about the job at all! All they cared about was being laid!

"Bunch of rich bastards" Namine muttered. She _was_ the only girl here who wasn't from Uptown and _was_ the only one who actually came here to get a job so she didn't give if she was insulting these girls, because it was true! They don't even care about making a living for pete's sake like she did!

As she thought this, she felt the huge headache coming on from all the talking she had been hearing from the others, which consisted of:

"Like, oh my gawd! I just love your skirt!"

"Oh my gawd, aren't Axel and Riku _so_ hot?"

"Oh my gawd, like, look at the blonde with the bandage on her face"

Woah, rewind that part! Are they talking about her?

"I know, she looks as it she bought those clothes from the dollar store"

Yup, they were talking about her…

"Don't you airheads have better things to do with your time instead of poking at others?" asked Namine with an eye twitching. _Easy Namine, you don't want to go to jail for murder. Just count to ten and tune them out, _Namine thought.

"Who are you calling an airhead? At least I can get some action!" one girl told her while flipping her hair. "With those big glasses of yours, you'd be lucky enough to get Steve Urkel to bed you," the girl said and other girls laughed.

_One… _

"At least I'm not some slut who only cares about getting laid" Namine countered.

_Two… _

"_Please_, as if you could be a slut" the woman told her.

_Three… _

"You're right, I'm too busy doing much more productive things with my time and not living off my parents' fricken money," Namine said in a sarcastic tone. By now, they had gotten the whole lobby's attention.

_Four… _

"Hmph, that's something you'd expect from a poor person who's parents don't have any money to live off of. Her parents probably live in some ally begging for spare change" the girl said and the others in the room nodded in agreement.

_Fiv- You know what? Forget the consequences! Nobody insults my dad! _

With that thought, Namine punched the girl with all her might, which caused the girl to slam down on the floor across the room where the interview door is. Her head banged straight into the wall causing a loud bang to occur. Luckily, the girl was still conscience and a bump was probably forming at the back of her head, but other than that, she wasn't hurt seriously.

"Next time, I won't let you off with a warning shot! You'll get it all the next time you insult my dad!" Namine shouted at her. The girl rose to her feet with the help of her friends and glared at Namine.

* * *

Having heard the bang, Zexion came out to see a girl lunge at his new friend, Namine. The girl and Namine crashed to the floor with the girl on top and Namine at the bottom. The girl sat on Namine's stomach and began punching Namine. Tifa and Leon, who also heard the commotion came inside and saw what was happening. Before Tifa and Leon could intervene, Namine kicked the girl off her and twisted her arm thereby causing the girl to be on the floor with Namine on her back holding one of her arms behind her; however, Namine made no move to twist it. She bent down to the girl's ear and whispered.

"You punch good for a rich bastard, but I've had worse things happen to me, _much _worse things that you can't imagine. I didn't come here to fight you, so I'll let you go and leave you alone and vice versa. Deal?" asked Namine. The girl nodded, not wanting to make the blonde poor girl mad when she was showing her mercy. Her voice sent shivers down the girl's spine and she can't help but believe what Namine said was true- she had been through worse than a few punches.

Namine got off her, helped her stand and lead her to the bathroom. Words did not need to be said on what she was doing; so, the rich girl didn't protest. Namine turned to Zexion and Yuffie before leaving down the hall.

"Please excuse us, It was my entire fault, I provoked her so if anyone needs to be thrown out, it's me. But allow me to clean her up first for her interview, okay?" asked Namine with a grin. She didn't wait for a reply as she continued on her way nor did she notice the new pairs of eyes watching her the whole time.

* * *

Everything was quiet in the bathroom as the woman sat on the counter with Namine cleaning the blood from Namine's kick off her. She looked at Namine with a solemn expression as if she was analyzing something.

Finally, the silence was broken…

"Why did you take the blame?" asked the girl. Namine looked up at her startled before going back to cleaning her up with a soft smile on her face.

"Isn't it obvious? I did basically start the fight by punching you" said Namine as she wet another paper towel and continued her work.

"I was the one who provoked you in the first place," said the girl brushing a long strand of blonde hair out of her face from one of her high pigtails. Namine gave off a bitter chuckle at this. She couldn't believe a rich person was taking the blame with a poor person.

"True, but I should've kept my mouth shut and ignored you. Sometimes I have no self control" she gave off a laugh at her own faults as she remembered all the times her mouth got her in trouble. Everything became silent once again until Namine broke it this time.

"When I was little, my mom left us: me, my younger sister, and my dad, for some rich guy who lived in Uptown without a moment of hesitation. I was only two-years-old at the time, but I knew so many things that the average child didn't know. Since I understood the situation while my younger sister was ignorant as any normal child, I began to hate any rich person; even if I didn't know them, I still hated them" Namine explained. The other blonde didn't say anything, but she was listening intently and waiting for the girl to continue.

"And when I couldn't do anything about that hatred- no person ever took me seriously since they only thought of me as a child who would grow out of it- it just grew and grew until I began hating people in general for no reason at all. The only people I cared for were my sister and my dad because they needed me," Namine said in a sober voice.

"But everything changed when we had newcomers into our little apartment. They were the Lockheart family; a childhood friend of my dad's who had moved next door to help my dad get better. However, when the Lockheart family came, I didn't like them at all… I felt as if they were like everyone else who thought of me as a child and would just fill my head with sentimental lies. When people told me they understood what I went through or know what I'm feeling, it was a complete and total bullshit! They didn't understand at all and I wanted them out of the apartment and out of my life, especially the daughter"

"Why did you hate the daughter?" asked the blonde girl quietly. The cleaning up was all done, but none of them made a move to leave.

"I hated her because when I looked at her, I saw the very person who got me hating everyone in the first place. She looked and acted just like her before _she _left us behind" Namine replied. "I was a fool," she muttered to herself, but her companion heard her perfectly.

"It turns out, she was nothing like my mother, or the other people who tried to comfort me. She was herself and by being herself, I began to get better. I began to open my eyes a little and un close my ears. I began to not hate everything and I was able to become the person I am today. A person she and I can both be proud of because she's my reason for living. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be standing here and breathing. So, everything I do, everything I've accomplished is to make her proud of me, and one day I can go up to her and say 'You're my reason for living'" Namine ended her speech and looked at her companion. No trace of remorse was found on either ones' faces.

"Do you… still hate rich people?" she asked.

"In a sense, I still do. I might always will, but at times like these when I find myself talking to rich folk, I can't help but think of them as people like me. People who have their flaws and talents and have problems as well as I do. And when I think these thoughts, I know one day, that hatred will slowly disappear" Namine said smiling. "I just need a little help is all," Namine said.

"Well, look at all the time we're wasting in here when you could be doing your interview, ne?" asked Namine as she dragged the blonde out of the bathroom with a grin. Her companion looked at Namine strangely.

"Don't _you _want the job?" asked the blonde. Namine stopped walking and placed a finger on her chin in thought.

"Not particularly, I was actually forced here against my will by my younger sister and my two best friends because I'm out of a job and my home will be evicted. That's why I didn't bother fixing myself up after the fight because they'll just throw me out and I won't have to take this job! Mission accomplished!" Namine cheered. Her companion gave off a nervous laugh and sweatdropped at the shorter girl. So, that's why she took the blame…

"Namine, you're okay, right?" Tifa asked as soon as the two came into view. The blonde rich girl observed her as Tifa came over and hugged Namine.

"I'm fine, Old Hag, I had worse remember?" asked Namine with a grin as Tifa let go of her. The blonde girl stood a couple yards away from them now with her two friends.

"Are you okay? That filth didn't hurt you did she?" asked the brown-haired girl as the blonde winced at her choice of words while the other girl nodded in agreement with the brown-haired girl. The blonde just shook her head and the other two went back to their pointless conversation as the blonde observed Namine, who was currently yelling at her older companion.

"What do you mean I'm not getting thrown out?! I started a fight for pete's sake!" Namine shouted at Tifa who was giving her a Cheshire Cat grin.

"Well, Namine, Ms. Kisagari told us that you were provoked in the first place and the hosts of the interview said that they would let you off with a warning" Tifa told her grinning as Namine made a move to protest, but Leon cut her off.

"Besides, we had a feeling you were trying to get out of this because you told the assistants to throw you out so we jumped in your defense to stay, not that it was necessary since the hosts told us it was okay" Leon told her with a smirk.

"Isn't that great Namine? You still have a chance to get this job!" shouted Yuffie in excitement and Zexion gave off a smile. However, Namine was in tears.

"Why is God so cruel to me?!" she sobbed.

"Hey Rikku, what are you smiling about?" asked the rich blonde's brunette companion.

"Oh, it's nothing, Yuna" Rikku told her friend.

_Namine, huh? _Thought Rikku with a smile, _I wonder… will I talk to you again? _

* * *

"Okay, Namine, you're up" Zexion told his blonde friend and sweatdropped when he saw a cloud of despair over her head. "Aw, Come on, it's not like you're going to your death sentence" Zexion told her. Namine got up and headed for the door; however, just as she was about to open it and head inside, she turned to them with a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of her neck.

"On second thought, I changed my mind," she told them. Suddenly, all of them were pushing Namine through the doorway (the door was now open) while she clutched the frame of the doorway as if her life depended on it (which in this case, it does).

"Get in there!" Tifa said as she pushed on Namine's back.

"No!" Namine shouted.

Suddenly, all of them rammed into her at the same time, which caused her to let go and land on the floor face flat in the interview room. The door shut behind her and Namine knew right then and there that she was trapped. Again, why is God so cruel to her?

Namine was interrupted from her musings on the floor by five deep chuckles. She lifted her face off the floor and felt her mouth drop.

In front of her were five men, five gorgeous handsome men!

The first male looked to be the oldest at the age of twenty-five. He practically screamed pryomatic with his bright spiky red hair that resembled the heating flames themselves. His eyes were a rich emerald and his skin looked as if it was starting to tan soon. Under his eyes were two triangular red marks that added to his wild look as well as the two piercings he had in his left ear. His clothes were a red (not surprising) t-shirt that was tight on him thereby showing off his muscles and black baggy pants that consisted of several metal chains and finally black combat boots on his feet. He was definitely the wild type all right, Namine noted.

The second male was probably the same age as the first, but his childish aura made him look younger. He had what Namine would call a rock star haircut (A/n: that's what I refer to as Demyx's hairstyle in the game) that was the color dirty blonde. His eyes held playfulness as Yuffie's did, but they also held cleverness and mischief. They were the color of aqua sea foam and his skin was tanner than the first one's. He wore a leather jacket with a dark blue shirt that said 'Who needs fire when you can have water!' thereby having a little smilie face stick its tongue out at the end of the saying. Finally, he wore blue jeans and sneakers.

The third male looked to have the most mature and sophisticated aura that would clearly make any girl (of course she's not any girl, so Namine doesn't count) swoon. He looked to be about two years older than Namine. He had long silver hair and mature aqua eyes that were lighter than the second male's eyes. His skin was the same color as the second's and he wore a green polo t-shirt with a few of the buttons unbuttoned to show off some of his chest. He wore blue jeans and black male dress shoes. Finally, he had a brown wristwatch on his left wrist.

The last two, that looked to be a year older than herself, could probably be considered twins. Well, almost anyway; they had a few features different about them. The fourth male had brown spiky hair that went in all directions and had ocean blue eyes that had a sense of innocence, yet held mischief at the same time and right sense of judgment. Namine could tell that this boy would be the friendliest to others out of the five. His skin was tan and well toned and he had an aura of playfulness like Yuffie. He wore a blue t-shirt that was somewhat baggy, black baggy pants that stopped a few inches after his knees, blue and black sneakers, and finally he had a silver chain around his neck with a silver crown at the end of it.

Finally, the last one had the most cockiest aura of the five. It was as if he knew how much he had an effect on people and used it to his advantage. He had the same skin color as the fourth male, but his hair was a golden blonde that didn't go in all directions like that other male's did. His spiky hair was more like a bed-head or gravity defying. Although, his eyes were the same color as the fourth male's, they held determination and cockiness as well as amusement. He wore a white t-shirt with a black short sleeve hoody over it. His pants were baggy and a dark shade of green with several chains on them, but not as much as the first male had, and black combat boots were on his feet. Finally, he had a white and black checkered wristband on his left wrist with a black band/ring on his index finger and a white band/ring on his middle finger.

Each of the men stared at her with amusement on their faces. If she didn't get the drift from the smirks on their faces, she would've gotten it from the fact that the rock star male with laughing. Of course, she's still on the floor just staring at them, she would've laughed too if it wasn't her on the floor!

"It seems even the little vixen from before is left speechless" the silver-haired male said smirking. Namine quietly rose from the floor and walked toward the door calmly. All of a sudden, Namine knocked on the door and Tifa opened it.

"Can I go now? I have to pack my stuff and find a new apartment," Namine said dully. Tifa rolled her eyes and asked.

"Did you even _do_ the interview?" asked Tifa.

"No," replied Namine.

"Then what are you giving up for?" Tifa asked aspirated.

"I refuse to be interviewed by a male harem," Namine stated as she pointed to the five men. Tifa just turned Namine around and steered Namine back to the chair.

"Stop being a baby! You can handle five men, they don't bite, right?" Tifa asked the hosts. The blonde gave off a smirk and replied smoothly.

"Of course," he told Tifa looking straight at Namine, which caused her to squirm in her chair. Tifa didn't seem to notice as she smiled then turned to Namine.

"Now, Namine, it's not nice or polite to waste these nice men's time. So be considerate of the other girls here and do your interview. The sooner you do it, the sooner we can go and get you some lunch, okay?" asked Tifa like a mother to her child and patted her head then left and shut the door behind her.

"Namine, huh?" purred out the red-haired man as he snaked his arms around her waist from behind. Namine "Eeped" at the sudden contact.

_How did he do that? _Namine thought. She didn't sense him coming at all. She began squirming to get out of his hold, but the dirty-blonde pounced on her causing her to get out of the red head's hold and landed on the floor with the dirty-blonde on top of her nuzzling her cheek.

"Hi Nami-chan! I'm Demyx, but you can call me Demy!" he said happily, as he continued his nuzzling. Since Namine was scrawny, she could fit out of the dirty-blonde, Demyx's, hold and backed away from them.

"What the hell? Did you guys do this to every girl? Cause let me tell you, I'm no slut and I actually came here to get this job to work, not to get action. But now, I don't think I even want this job, no wait, I never wanted this job in the first place! I just did this because Kairi begged me to come here, but I'm just going to leave, See-ya!" Namine said and began walking towards the door. However, before she could turn the doorknob, their comments stopped her.

"She looks a little skinny"

"Malnourished"

"Sleep deprived"

_Huh? _Namine thought when she felt two arms trap her in their arms. When she got a better look, she noticed it was the blonde.

"And," the blonde said, "She has big glasses that cover up most of her face" he slipped them off her face and backed away from her to prove his point. Namine protested immediately and began to feel from her glasses as she squinted around the room.

"My glasses! I can't see without those you twit!" she shouted. Those were her only pair of glasses until Tifa buys her new ones which will be in two years when she and Leon have enough money. Glasses were expensive you know!

"I'll give back your glasses when you stop moving and stop squinting" the blonde told her. She immediately stopped and didn't squint around. This gave the men to get a good look at her. She heard a clang on the floor and realized they were her glasses. She got down on the floor and felt around for them. Having finally found her glasses, she placed them back on and found the men were staring at her, just staring as if she was something out of this world. She coughed and they all snapped out of it and the redhead spoke.

"Hmm, she's spunky" he said.

"She actually has experience," said the blonde.

"It says that she's a great cook and cleaner in her resume," said the brunette as he looked at Namine's resume, which was completed by Tifa.

_Eh? Resume? Did Tifa give them that?! _Namine thought.

"Wait hold on a second here!" Namine shouted.

"Then it's settled," the silver haired man spoke, "We just found our new maid"

"SAY WHAT?!"

**

* * *

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**Karin Ochibi-chan: Well that's it for now! Sorry I haven't updated in a while for this story. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review!**

**Demyx: Yay we showed up! **

**Riku: Finally**

**Roxas: took her long enough**

**Sora: Author-chan, can I intro the preview?**

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Sure**

**Sora: Here's the preview for chapter four!**

**Chapter four- preview:**

"_Nami-chan, why don't you have contacts?" asked Demyx as they all sat in the limo with Namine in between Demyx and Axel. _

"_Yeah, you look much better without those Steve Urkel glasses," said Roxas as he ate his favorite ice cream: sea-salt ice cream. Namine glared at him before replying. _

"_I don't like contacts that much," she told them, "Besides appearances never mattered to me" she said and licked her strawberry ice cream cone. _

**Karin Ochibi-chan: well that's it for now! Bye-bye**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**


	4. Namine Narumi: The Poor

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Yay! I got more reviews! Thanks to ****Kiki Lelsissia**** and ****hanakitsunechan7**** for giving me new reviews! Oh and thanks for telling me about Yuffie's last name ****hanakitsunechan7****! Now on with the- **

**Roxas: Cheater!**

**Axel: Am not!**

**Riku: yeah right! How could you get a royal flush eleven times in a row!?**

**Axel: Pure skill**

**Roxas: in other words, you cheated! **

**Sora: wow Axel, I'm really ashamed you would stoop so low**

**Demyx: I want all my stuff back!**

**Axel: Oh crap! **_**(Gets tackled by the others while Karin Ochibi-chan ignores them) **_

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Okay, anyway, here's the next chapter! And by the way to xxxKingdom-Hearts-Fanxx, your request for Namixas fluff had been put in the chapter. Thanks for requesting! **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts and I most likely never will… crud…

**

* * *

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**Recap: **

"_Wait hold on a second here!" Namine shouted. _

"_Then it's settled," the silver haired man spoke, "We just found our new maid" _

"_SAY WHAT?!" _

**End of Recap: **

**

* * *

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**Namine Narumi- The Poor**

At times like these, Namine wonders what she did to deserve harsh and cruel punishment. Did she do something that offended God? Or did God like to laugh at her misery and her misery alone? All these thoughts went through her head a mile a minute as she stared at the five men who dared call her a maid.

"She's so happy, she's speechless," the red haired male commented as he snickered at her expression. This seemed to knock her out of her daze as she glared at the offending male in a menacing manor.

"More like I'm so devastated, I'm plotting ways to kill you," Namine retorted. Being around rich people she could slightly tolerate, but working for them? No, _that_ was a big no-no! Maybe if she did it now with no witnesses, she could get out of here with five males dead on the floor and not get arrested. Hmm, at this point it seems like a good idea…

"Nami-chan, do you not like us?" asked Demyx as his eyes started tearing up and a cute pout was on his face. No! Not the pout! Namine can't _stand_ pouts! That's how Kairi always convinced her to do stupid things she wouldn't be caught dead doing! Like this job interview for example.

"No, but-"

"Then if you like us then take the job, simple as that" the blonde told her. Namine growled in annoyance.

"Will you listen to me for one-"

"Besides, you have no choice," the brunette spoke without malice, "you said yourself that you would lose your home so unless you want to be homeless, you have to take the job" he told her with a grin. Namine just gawked at him.

"True, you wouldn't want to be homeless would you?" asked the silver haired male of the group.

_I'd rather be homeless than work for a bunch of rich inconsiderate flirty bastards! _She thought angrily, but she held her tongue knowing full well that Kairi or/and Tifa and Leon would surely force her to take the job. There was no way that they would let her live on the streets. Heck, even Olette and Fuu will probably force her too if they find out she is going to be homeless. Why did Namine have such commanding friends who look out for her like she was the puppy?

With a defeated sigh, she hung her head as a cloud of despair formed above it. Yes, as of now, she whole-heartedly believed that all of heaven wanted her miserable for the rest of her days.

"Fine," she strained out the word, "I'll take the fricken job," she muttered miserable; however, they all heard her and identical smirks broke out on their handsome faces. Demyx gave her a bone-crushing hug and exclaimed.

"Yay! Nami-chan is going to be our maid!" he exclaimed happily. The other males were sure China heard their friend. The red haired male pried Demyx off Namine and dragged him away from her.

"Don't kill our maid Demyx! We just got her!" Axel told his friend who whined about not being able to hug Namine. All the others shook their heads while Namine's eye twitched in annoyance. They talked about her as if she was an object or something.

_Typical rich people, I guess, _she thought tiredly. She really wanted to get back to her apartment to feed her cat. It was almost lunchtime and she didn't get a chance to feed him this morning. She hoped he wasn't too mad at her. Maybe she should buy him a toy with the money she has at the moment as an apology and to make up for his missed breakfast. As you can see, both cat and owner love the meal of breakfast.

"Well, since I got the job," she muttered a couple of curses before she continued, "I guess I'll see you guys on Monday or whenever I'm supposed to start this miserable job" she said and was just about to leave when the blonde stopped her.

"You start now," he told her causing her to look at him in disbelief.

"You mean to tell me that as soon as I accepted the job I have to start working? What kind of system is that?" asked Namine Isn't there a couple of days before you actually start working?

"The system is the worker starts as soon as the manager needs them, right?" asked the blonde and Namine nodded dumbly.

"Then you start as soon as we tell you, which in this case is now" he told her as he poked her forehead throughout the explanation. She slapped his hand away and rubbed her forehead to rid of any marks his poking made.

"Fine," she grumbled. She prayed to God that Moogle was okay. Maybe Olette would feed him since she's not there. She usually does when Namine's not home, in which Namine is _very_ grateful to her neighbor for.

"Well, now that that's settled, we should properly introduce ourselves to the little lady," said the red haired male of the group. The others nodded in agreement. The red haired man cleared his throat and spoke first.

"Since Demyx already introduced himself, I'll go next. Name's Axel. A-X-E-L got it memorized?" he said and sweatdropped when Namine nodded and took out a notepad from nowhere and wrote his name down. Well, at least she got it memorized…

The silver haired male went next as he took her hand in his own and kissed it earning a few glares (including Namine) as he did so. "I'm Riku, it's a pleasure to meet a beauty such as yourself" he told her causing her to blush a little. This _was_ the first time someone besides Kairi and Tifa called her beautiful. She briefly wondered if Riku was on crack or something (Tifa and Kairi are family so they are supposed to think she's beautiful even though she's not). The blonde growled and snagged her away from Riku, causing her to stand four feet away from him.

"I'm Sora" the brunette said as he came up to her, "the blonde is Roxas, it's nice to meet you" he said sincerely. Roxas just grunted still glaring at Riku. Namine scratched the back of her head and laughed nervously.

"Um, well, I'm Namine Narumi, but you guys know that already so I guess that's it" she told them. Demyx gave her another hug while spinning her around.

"Nami-chan is so cute!" he shouted and again had to be dragged away by Axel while the others sweatdropped. After that, they all exited the room and were met by screaming girls with hearts in their eyes causing Namine's sweatdrop to double in size while the males gave them sexy smirks that caused the females of the room to scream louder in ecstasy.

"Hey Namine, there you are" said Tifa reaching her best friend/little sister. "Now that your interview's over and done with, let's get some lunch with Leon, okay?" she said and was about to leave with her when the five males began to speak.

"First of all, we would like to thank all of you lovely ladies for coming" Sora said giving them a smile. "However, we have made our choice and this interview is now at its end" he told them sadly. The girls whined and began protesting.

"Who is it?" asked a female in the back. All the others stopped whining to listen as well all silently praying to God that it was them. Unfortunately, Namine's misery is much more fun than their happiness so God didn't grant their wish.

"Miss Namine Narumi" Sora told them. All of them looked confused and angry, who was Namine Narumi? And what is the most painful way to kill her?

"She's the blonde with the glasses trying to sneak out of the door with the older woman" Roxas stated as he pointed to their new maid causing Tifa and Namine to freeze and the girls to glare at them, well, more like glare at Namine.

Namine squeaked as she felt the murderous aura out of each of them and whimpered. She knew God was enjoying this. However, Sora stepped in before they could do anything.

"Please don't be mad at Namine, it was our fault" Sora said sadly. "I hope you can forgive us for hurting beautiful ladies such as yourselves," he said and all the girls cried too.

"Don't be sad Sora!" a girl cried.

"Yeah, we forgive you" another girl said and the rest nodded in agreement. Sora gave off a smile that made the entire fan girls melt.

"Thank you for your kind words," he told them. Namine sweatdropped; perhaps the friendliest was the most manipulative…

"We hope to see you ladies again soon," said Axel as he winked at them. As all the fan girls screamed in pleasure, someone approached Namine.

"Congratulations on getting the job, Namine" the blonde from before told her sincerely. Namine gave her a tired grin and patted the other's head causing the blonde to look at her strangely.

"Thanks, but I don't think it's something to congratulate me on; however, I think you would've have been a better choice what with all that spunk you got" Namine told her referring to their fight earlier. "By the way, we have to have a rematch sometime, um…" Namine told the blonde girl. The blonde smiled, a true smile, and replied.

"Rikku.We should have a rematch, but not because we're angry unless you think that's weird" the blonde, Rikku, gave off a sheepish smile. Namine shook her head and grinned.

"Nah, Squally and I wrestle all the time for fun. Of course, I always win" Namine added at the end of her reply grinning as she thought of all the times Leon lost to her. Her companion giggled at that.

"Squally?" Rikku questioned.

"He's like my big bro," Namine told her happily. "He's so cool and incredibility fun to tease! He also likes my-"

"_Na-mi-ne_" her name was drawn out of Leon's mouth as he somehow appeared behind her when she was saying that. She squeaked as he started giving her a super noogie as punishment for almost telling her new friend on his crush on her twin sister.

"What did I say about gossiping? More specifically what did I say about gossiping about _me_ you little midget!" Leon said as he continued his punishment.

"Come on, Squally! It's not like I-"

"-Told the whole world" he finished for her, "but I'm starting to think otherwise" he said. Namine was set free and began glaring at her 'older brother'.

"What cha gonna do? Tell on me to _Kairi_?" asked Namine while she stuck her tongue at him, which resulting in another noogie for Namine as Rikku and Tifa sweatdropped.

"Didn't they have this conversation this morning?" asked Tifa having a sense of déjà vu. Rikku just stared and asked.

"Do they do this _all _the time?" she asked.

"Not all the time, but most of it" Tifa told her. There was a moment of silence between them as Namine and Leon's fight echoed in the background as well as the screaming fan girls who were saying good-bye to Namine's new bosses.

_Namine's new bosses, _Tifa thought sadly, _Never thought I'd have to say that, or at least think that in this case_. It was true; Tifa never thought that it would turn out like this. After all that hard work and memories that were made, it's hard to believe that Tifa would be watching Namine get a new job without her there to work with.

As Tifa was left with her thoughts, Rikku had some of her own. _So that's her, _Rikku thought as she remembered Namine's story, _That's the one who is Namine's reason for living… she must be really important to Namine if Namine can say that with so much conviction_, she thought. Rikku turned to look at Namine who somehow escaped Leon and was now the noogie-giver and he was the noogie-receiver. It was truly a funny sight as Namine was on Leon's back with one arm under his chin and the other was giving him the biggest noogie Rikku ever seen.

_How I envy you Namine, _Rikku gave off a bitter smile. She could have anything she wanted, but she knew that she didn't have a reason for living. _But maybe I will, _she thought with hope as she looked at the girl who inspired her to believe so.

Perhaps being friends with a commoner isn't so bad as she once thought, it's actually pretty fun…

* * *

Namine waved good-bye to Tifa and Leon as she walked off with the five handsome men. She was very happy that she had made three new friends and Tifa promised to check up on Moogle for her in case Olette didn't do so already since the men told Namine she wouldn't be back until late afternoon. 

Namine was quiet the whole walk until they reached the car- or should she say _limo_!

"What the hell?' Namine asked herself. "Aren't we going to walk or take a bus or something?" she asked. All the men looked at her strangely, before Yuffie chimed in.

"Don't be silly Namine, Uptown doesn't have buses and people barely walk around here" Yuffie told her.

"Besides, walking is a waste of time," Roxas said indifferently as he got inside the limo. Namine glared at the offending vehicle as if it was the cause of every bad thing that's happened to her.

_Bunch of rich bastards! _She thought angrily and climbed in. Since Yuffie and Zexion were assistants, they got to ride in the limo too. Namine sat in between Yuffie and Zexion as she gazed around the limo. It was very roomy; it could probably fit a couple more people without having to squeeze in with a mini fridge and plasma tv. Namine chose not to pay attention to the material things and looked out the window.

_Again, bunch of rich bastards, _she thought dryly. She then realized something and turned to Yuffie who was talking to Zexion about how she wanted to try commoners' instant coffee one day when she moves out of Uptown.

"Hey Yuffie," said girl turned to Namine, "you do know that basically in any other place you will have to walk or take a bus if you don't take a taxi or have driver's license, right?" Namine asked. Yuffie looked at her in excitement.

"You mean that they don't use limos?! Oh wow! I can't wait to see what else is out there!" Yuffie exclaimed as Namine sweatdropped. Zexion took this as a chance to clear something up for their friend.

"As you can tell from Yuffie, the Kisaragis and any other family in that matter, use limos and such unless they have a driver's license. We often use my limo or car to drive to work, or we just ride with these guys; however, we don't really have much traffic like in regular New York so it's pretty decent on the streets" Zexion explain as Namine nodded in understanding. In the slums, you barely saw any cars since no one could afford them. (A/n: Thanks again to hanakitsunechan7 for pointing out Yuffie's last name)

"So Namine," Riku began, "Tell us about where you live," he suggested. Namine looked around to find that everyone had their eyes on her. She gulped and fidgeted a little at the attention.

"Well," she began, "It's my home and I wouldn't trade it for anything," Namine said. She didn't want to go into detail about her home, _especially_ about all the terrors and risks she takes just by walking out her door. Besides, she didn't want pity and they wouldn't understand anyway.

They seemed to have accepted that answer but they looked like they wanted to ask more. They finally reached their destination and Yuffie and Zexion got up and headed to the doors. It appeared that they would not be with Namine through this ordeal. Namine began to panic at that thought and began spluttering.

"Bye, Namine! See you tomorrow or whenever you have to work!" Yuffie exclaimed and shut the car door leaving a gaping Namine and five smirking men. Namine gulped when she felt their eyes on her.

"Um… why are you all staring at me?" asked Namine nervously.

"No reason, but maybe it's the fact that you're scared out of your wits being alone with us" Axel said and sat next to her and placing his arm around her. Namine wiggled out of his hold and fell to the floor again. Once she got up, she glared at the males and stated.

"If I'm going to work for you guys, we need to set some ground rules, okay?" stated Namine. She would not tolerate these men doing what they pleased to her, especially without boundaries.

"Save it for lunch" Roxas told her. True to his word, the limo stopped in front of a restaurant. Namine stared gaping at the place in front of her when she got out of the car.

The place was super classy with a huge fountain at the front with a Chinese dragon statue on top of the fountain. It looked to be made out of pure gold and around the fountain and sides of the restaurant were decorated with fresh white lilies. The glass doors were framed by gold doorways and had gold handles. The outside entrance hall floor where the limos dropped off their clients was decked out in a beautiful design of lotus flowers in the patio. The sign above the doors was in gold and said _Golden Dragon _while the rest of the restaurant was made out of white marble. Namine continued gaping even when Demyx dragged her inside and she was met with red carpets, chandeliers, many classy tables with white tablecloth, fountains at each end of the room and many, _many _rich people wearing very classy clothes. Translation: clothes that Namine would _never _be able to afford in this lifetime or any lifetime for that matter. She suddenly felt out of place in this restaurant.

"Hello, can I help you?" asked a man in his late twenties. Namine silently groaned; even the _waiters_ looked classy, she was so screwed!

"Actually, yes, we would like a table for six" said Roxas. The waiter looked confused for a moment before asking.

"Are you waiting for someone?" asked the waiter looking around. Since Namine was so small, the five men in front of her easily blocked her out of view and for that, she was grateful. She didn't want attention drawn to herself. Believe or not, Namine knew when she did not need people looking at her despite the fact that she's impassive about appearances and such. However, this wasn't the slums and she felt so out of place she couldn't help but feel insecure.

"No, we're all here" Axel said as he dragged Namine along allowing the waiter to look at her. Looking at Namine strangely and with some disgust, he turned and led the six to their table and all the while catching looks from the women to look at the handsome men and whispered excitedly, but that would change when they saw her and began whispering about her. She soon found that every table she passed by they looked at her and whispered not-so-nice-things-that-she-would-rather-not-say. Namine sunk her head lower and pulled up the collar of her trademark blue plaid madras as if she hoped it would hide her from them.

Sora, sensing Namine's discomfort, went to the back of the group with her and placed an arm around her shoulder and rubbing her arm in a soothing manner. She felt the glares and the comments not so much as Sora was beside her. He seemed to have a calming effect that he passes on to others and for that moment she was grateful and forgot about the fact that she didn't like them touching her.

* * *

Once they reached the table that had a booth instead of individual chairs, Sora let go of Namine as she sat beside Roxas with Riku next to him, followed by Axel, Demyx and Sora was across from Namine as they sat in the booth. The waiter smiled kindly, but Namine could've sworn it was strained when he looked at her. 

"Here are your menus and while you decide would you like anything to drink?" he asked.

"I'll have a cup of black coffee," Axel told him.

"Water" Riku said

"Coke" the three remaining males said.

"Um… Orange soda, please" Namine said quietly, yet very politely. The waiter furrowed his eyebrows at her and replied.

"Sorry… miss, we don't have orange soda," he said sounding not sorry at all. This caused Namine's eye to twitch. What kind of restaurant doesn't have orange soda? There's something very wrong with that! It was sick and wrong!

_Rich people don't know what they're missing! _Namine thought. She made a note to tell Kairi about this injustice, which she would crack up as Namine ranted on the injustice, then probably rant about how orange soda is too good for them which would cause Kairi to laugh harder. Namine made a note to do that the next time Kairi was depressed. That would surely cheer Kairi up.

"Excuse me, but the last time I was here you did have orange soda, and that was three nights ago," Axel said in a nonchalant manner, but you could tell he was pissed off, in fact, they all had an angry vibe radiating off of them. The waiter squeaked at the angry aura he felt from the red haired man.

"Y-yes, of course, I forgot! We do have some in stock! I'll be right back with your drinks" he quickly said and left like a dog with its tail between its legs.

"What's his problem?" Namine asked clearly not feeling the angry vibe from Axel or any of them for that matter since she was too happy about getting orange soda.

"Probably nothing" Riku said not wanting tell her that the waiter was treating her badly and that they wanted to punch him for mistreating her. Namine seemed to accept that as she went back to curiously glancing at the menu to see what see wanted. Most of this stuff she didn't even know what they were. She seemed to have given up trying to figure out what some of the choices were and put her menu down. She cleared her throat, gaining their attention, and began speaking.

"Anyway, about the ground rules," Namine began as the others stared at her waiting for her to continue.

"Rule number one: no ordering me around like some servant. I'm your maid, not your dog," Namine stated.

"Rule number two: don't make me work nights. I have to do things at home as well and my sister, older sister, and brother will hunt you down if something bad were to happen to me," she told them. If being in the slums during the day was risky, being in the slums at night was downright dangerous! Kairi would never forgive herself if something were to happen to Namine and Namine isn't one to make her sister suffer like other older siblings to their younger siblings.

"Rule number three: I don't want fan girls out for my blood so don't turn them on me for your entertainment" Namine snapped. They all winced at her tone. They made a note to _never _do that.

"Rule number four: don't make me work on holidays. I have a family and would like to spend the holiday with them," she told them.

"Finally, Rule number five: no touching" she ended it with crossing her arms and glaring at them. They all looked at her irked. They clearly weren't happy about that last rule. Riku cleared his throat and spoke.

"First of all, _you _are _our _maid, which means we make the rules about how you will work. However, we respect your morals so we will not treat you like a dog. Secondly, you will go home when we tell you to and if it's too late for you to go home, you will spend the night at our residence and are allowed to come in late to work next day so you can take care of your tasks at home. Third, it depends on the holiday and if you didn't make plans on that holiday, you will be required to work to that day. Finally, as long as it's not violating and indecent, we are allowed to touch you. Fair enough?" Riku ended his explanation. Namine thought about the terms and nodded, though she was still sore about the last one, but she knew they wouldn't follow that rule so why bother protesting, and as Riku said, they would not violate her or do anything perverted to her.

The waiter came back with their drinks and practically slammed Namine's down while he was gentle and careful with the other drinks causing the males to glare at the waiter. He took out his notepad and asked what they wanted. Each of them gave their order and when it came to Namine she said.

"Just Chicken and broccoli with rice" she said. The waiter gave her a look of confusion and disgust before replying.

"Sorry miss, could you be more specific?" he asked. Now it was Namine's turn to be confused. Wasn't she specific enough?

"Um… there are different kinds?" she asked confused. The waiter snorted at her confusion.

"Of course, only a commoner would be so dense" he snared out before he could stop himself. Namine growled at the man's prejudice at her. This is the kind of crap she gets everyday and she took it, but due to pent up frustration and exhaustion from today and being in an unfamiliar environment was screwing up her emotions. However, before she could punch the guy, Riku spoke up.

"Sir, do you know the manager?" he asked. The waiter turned to him as if he wasn't just insulting Namine a second ago and smiled.

"Why yes, his name is Ryusuke Sarutobi" he told Riku. Riku just gave off a smirk and replied.

"Good, so my father knows who I will be talking about when I tell him that a waiter was treating a friend of mine with disrespect" he told the man as the man went pale and began spluttering apologies to Riku. "Don't apologize to me," Riku told him with a glare, "Apologize to my friend, Namine" he told the man. The waiter looked as if he would have rather been fired, but he turned towards Namine with a strained smile.

"My deepest apologies miss, I wasn't considerate, so what do you want to order?" he asked. Namine thought for a moment before Demyx answered.

"Nami-chan can have won-ton soup like me, right Nami-chan?" he asked the girl. Namine smiled and nodded.

"Sure, I love won-ton!" she said with a smile and the waiter went off with their orders. As soon as he left, Namine turned to Riku.

"So, your dad owns this place?" she asked him. Riku nodded and replied.

"He owns a chain of restaurants and a couple of hotels here and there, but he really focuses on the restaurant business," Riku explained to her. Namine nodded in understanding and Riku continued.

"Namine, I should apologize too," Riku told her. Namine looked at him strangely before he continued. "I never thought that he would make a comment to you or that he would mistreat you in anyway. I truly am sorry," he said. Namine put up her hand and waved it off.

"No sweat, it isn't your fault. I get this all the time," she said without realizing that she slipped up on something. The other occupants stiffened at her response.

"You get it all the time? From who?" asked Roxas angrily.

"Oh relax, it's just passersby on the way to my old job. It's not like they feather and tar me or burn me at the stake, sheesh" she said. The others didn't even want to imagine any of those things happening to Namine. It was too disturbing.

"So anyway Riku, it's not something that you have control over so don't worry about it, kay?" she asked and drank her orange soda. Man, she loved this stuff! With that said, none of them asked about her mistreatment because of her status anymore. Soon the boys went into a discussion about regular things (well, regular to them anyway, Namine doesn't own any yachts and stuff so she stayed out of it). While they talked about stuff Namine didn't care about, she looked around the restaurant in sheer boredom while sipping her soda.

Every single one of the people here were dressed classy. Suits, ties, dresses, skirts. Hell, she looked to be the only girl who was wearing pants! It isn't her fault she likes pants better than skirts. She never knew how Kairi could wear those things when there are perverts out there just waiting to get a look at some girl's panties. But then again, even if Namine was wearing a skirt, she would still kick their sorry ass for trying to get a peek at her.

Besides, how was Namine supposed to know that she would land this job? It's not like she's physic or anything (although Tifa begs to differ since Namine has what you would call a 'flashback sense'). However, she is not a fortuneteller so she cannot tell when she was supposed to at least try to look decent. But then again, even if she _did _look decent, it probably wouldn't do a thing to what the rich folk thought of her and Namine was just fine the way she is thank you! Why waste her time pretending to be someone she's not just to impress people who don't like her and vice versa. It was pointless really. And with that thought, Namine chose to ignore the rich folk making comments and sneers and think about other things while she's in this foreign realm.

However, Lady Luck also likes to see Namine in a tight spot and joined forces with God on making the blonde miserable. The proof is clearly shown to Namine when a waitress comes to deliver their food. The waitress looked to be a couple years older than Namine and had a great body with long black hair in a braid. She flashed the men a flirty smile and winked at them flirtatiously. Namine wondered if this restaurant had a bag because she felt like she was going to gag! Bleah!

But when this goddess turned to Namine, all smiles were gone. _No surprise there, _Namine thought dryly as she looked at the waitress with a bored expression while sipping on the straw to her soda causing slurping noises louder than necessary. The waitress glared at her before she turned to the five men with a fake solemn expression.

"I'm _sorry_ sirs, but we don't allow _animals _in the restaurant," she told them. Everything was silent before Sora calmly got up and poured his drink on the waitress with everyone in the restaurant staring wide eyed as the waitress screamed at having the sticky substance poured on her good clothes. All men stood up, Roxas grabbed Namine's hand, and all began leading her out of the restaurant. However, before they left, Sora turned to them with an icy cold glare that made Namine sliver.

"The only _animal _I see in this place is _you,_" Sora stated then they all left the restaurant leaving a shocked and silent crowd behind them.

* * *

Everything was silent in the limo with everyone's hearts heavy and the tension was high. Namine winced at the eerie silence upon them. She sat in between Riku and Roxas as Roxas held her hand the whole time. She didn't protest for even she could sense the bad mood coming from them all. So, she just sat quietly looking out the window and thinking about her friends back at home to preoccupy her. 

However, the men's thoughts were far from calm. Each of them was pulsing with anger as they thought about the waitress's statement, the comments from the other customers, and the rude behavior from the waiter. Only one thing ringed over and over again in their heads.

"_I'm _sorry _sirs, but we don't allow _animals _in the restaurant" _

They didn't know why, but when they heard that statement directed at their new maid, they felt angry, _really _angry. This anger was new to them and they had no idea why they _even_ cared. Or why they _even_ cared about a _poor _girl.

They just _did_…

* * *

"Stop the car!" Namine suddenly shouted, startling the men out of their thoughts. The driver stopped the car and Namine jumped out with glee on her face and a bounce in her step. The five men quickly followed after her, wondering what was the urgency. Finally, after a couple of seconds, they knew. 

Namine saw an ice cream shop…

Namine loved ice cream. When she was little, Fuu and her ate ice cream all the time bought by Fuu's brother. But when they moved away, Namine didn't get to have the pleasures of the cold treat anymore so she bore without the sweet treat.

The men watched her in amusement. She looked just like a child at a candy shop… er… ice cream shop… Roxas approached the young blonde and asked her.

"What flavor do you want?" he asked taking out his wallet. Namine turned to him confused before she got the drift and began objecting.

"You're mouth was practically producing a river with all the drool coming out" he told her and ordered something for himself. The others soon joined them and ordered their own treats as well since they didn't get any lunch.

"Can I have strawberry?" asked Namine to the old lady. The woman gave her a genuine smile and handed her the cone with the tasty treat.

"My, what a nice boyfriend you have there, young lady" the woman told her smiling causing Namine to freeze in mid lick of her ice cream while Roxas just took out the money needed to pay as if the statement didn't bother him at all.

"Oh no, we're not-"

"Thank you, ma'am" Roxas cut her off and paid the woman. Namine glared at him as he grabbed her hand again and gave off another cocky smirk. All of them climbed in the car with the tension completely gone. They all began to talk as if nothing had happened in the restaurant and talked about regular things that made them laugh and smile as if they were all friends.

It was a very strange feeling, Namine noted, but it wasn't completely unwanted…

* * *

"Nami-chan, why don't you have contacts?" asked Demyx as they all sat in the limo with Namine in between Demyx and Axel. 

"Yeah, you look much better without those Steve Urkel glasses," said Roxas as he ate his favorite ice cream: sea-salt ice cream. Namine glared at him before replying.

"I don't like contacts that much," she told them, "Besides appearances never mattered to me" she said and licked her strawberry ice cream cone.

"Well, that's obvious with the way you dress" Axel stated as he poked her cheek causing her to glare at him.

"Well, _excuse me_, I guess we can't all wear designer clothes and jewelry and whatever rich people wear, geez" Namine said hotly and pouted causing Axel to laugh.

"It's not like we're saying it's a bad thing," Axel told her. "We just think that you would look much cuter if you didn't dress in baggy clothes," Axel said and poked her cheek again. Namine snorted as if to say, 'Don't care'

"I think Nami-chan looks cute in anything even if she wears baggy old clothes and those big glasses that you would find on anime girls!" Demyx said as he hugged Namine almost causing both their ice creams to fall.

"Demyx! Let me eat my ice cream!" Namine whined. Demyx let go and went back to his own ice cream with a grin. Namine just shook her head and smiled.

Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all…

**

* * *

**

**Karin Ochibi-chan: So what do you think? Don't worry, Namine's not going to get comfortable just yet! **

**Namine: you mean I'm going to go through more hell! **

**Karin Ochibi-chan: well, of course! After all God and Lady Luck like to torture you! Also, if you have a request on who should Namine have a fluff moment with in the next chapter request now! **

**Choices are: **

**Namixas**

**Namiora **

**Namiku**

**Namieyx**

**Namixel**

**This is just for fluff moments, not main pairing! SO give a request if you want to see a fluff moment between Namine and any of these guys in the next chapter! **

**Chapter five- preview: **

"_Are you fricken serious?" asked Namine as she stood in the entrance hall to the mansion that she would be working in with cleaning supplies. "It will take forever to clean this place up!" Namine shouted at the men who decided to put her through hell. They looked at her in a nonchalant manner as she glared at them. _

"_You didn't think this would be all fun and games did you?" asked Roxas. "We needed a maid so we interviewed for one. What did you think we were interviewing for? A good time?" he asked. Namine didn't dare answer and picked up her cleaning supplies and began trudging up the marble stairs with a gloom cloud over her head. _

"_We'll be back later in the evening so we expect the place to be spotless" Riku told her as they all headed out the door to the limo and shut the door behind them leaving Namine alone to her cleaning. _

**Karin Ochibi-chan: that's it for now! See ya soon! **

**PLEASE REVIEW PEOPLE!!!!!**


	5. Namine Narumi: The Maid

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Hiya readers! It's so awesome that a lot of people like this story. To be honest with you, I never thought it would be that popular. Thanks so much to the people who supported me throughout this and that inspired me to update a lot faster! Oh, and thanks to _xxKingdom-Hearts-Fanxx,_ _Yuleen75, hanakitsunechan7_****, and finally _PrincessSerenity110_**

**Sora: **_**(sobbing) **_**That was beautiful Author-chan! **

**Axel: Man, you are such a wimp! **

**Roxas: I can't believe you're my original self. There must be some mistake! **

**Riku: If you guys are calling him a wimp then why are you crying too?**

**Roxas and Axel: we have something in our eye! **

**Demyx: **_**cough **_**Yeah right **_**cough **_

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Anyway, requests were listened to and I thank everyone who made a request. **

**Sora: which means it will definitely show up! **

**Disclaimer: **Sadly I don't own the awesome game known as Kingdom Hearts

**

* * *

**

**Recap: **

"_I think Nami-chan looks cute in anything even if she wears baggy old clothes and those big glasses that you would find on anime girls!" Demyx said as he hugged Namine almost causing both their ice creams to fall. _

"_Demyx! Let me eat my ice cream!" Namine whined. Demyx let go and went back to his own ice cream with a grin. Namine just shook her head and smiled. _

_Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all… _

**End of Recap: **

**

* * *

**

**Namine Narumi- The Maid **

When will Namine get it into her head that rich people are downright evil and will do everything in their power to make her life a living hell? Really, you'd think she would learn that by now with all the dislike she felt for them.

But oh no, she just _assumed_ that maybe her new bosses would be different; however, they're just as _sadistic_ to poor people as any other rich person!

Well, it's not like she should be surprised really. She _was _after all their maid and had to do certain amounts of work. However, this is just _too_ much!

Wait, perhaps she should start at the beginning…

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(This morning)

_Namine Narumi slept soundly in her couch bed with her cat at her feet. It turns out that her cat was indeed taken care of by her neighbor Olette and was not angry with his master. Usually, when Moogle was angry with Namine- which doesn't happen often, she might add because she's a good cat owner- he would sleep on the floor in his kitty bed, which was just a pile of blankets, and stay there until he had forgiven her. As you notice, both cat and owner are peacefully asleep. _

… _or at least they were until the phone rang… _

_RING!!!_

"_Urgh!" Namine groaned and covered her head with her pillow, trying to block out the disturbing noise. However, the protection of the pillow did very little to ward off the annoying sound. Maybe if she ignored it, the person would give up. Her cat meowed in irritation at being woken up. He did not like to be woken up by some phone! _

_After deciding that the person calling was not going to go away, she felt around for it while her face was still acquainted with the pillow. Finally, she grasped the phone and picked it up before her neighbors came banging on the door to shut up. _

"'_ello?" Namine asked groggily. The voice that answered her was not one she wanted to hear in the morning. _

"_Hey little lady! Time to get up. You have work to do!" Axel's voice drifted into her ear on the other line. She groaned and looked at the clock beside her bed. _

_It read 4:05 am… _

"_Unless having no glasses on is deceiving me, which I highly doubt, my clock says 4:05 in the morning" Namine said. _

"_Yep!" Axel replied. _

"_And you're calling me at 4:05 in the morning so I can get my ass out of bed and do crappy house chores?" she asked angrily. _

"_Pretty much" Axel stated. _

"_Why?" she asked irritated with the redhead. She never had to get up _this_ early. Tifa usually asked the workers to come in at eight, not four in the morning! _

"_Woah, not a morning person are you?" he asked. Namine gripped the phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white. _

"_Well, no one would be happy if they got a call to wake up at four in the morning!" she shouted. Axel chuckled on the other end. _

"_Hey, _I _have to be the one who has to wake you; so, don't whine to me. Whine to Riku, _he's_ the one who told me to give the wake up call before I went to bed" Axel told her. Namine imagined horrible deaths on the silver haired man, cursing him into the deepest circle of hell. _

"_Anyway, you'd better get over here as fast as you can, which will probably take you an hour or so. See ya Namine!" Axel ended his call and left Namine staring- well, actually more like glaring and looking as if she wanted to smash the phone but couldn't because phones were expensive. _

_With a tired sigh, Namine fell back into her bed with frustration and was intending to get up and get over there. However, she was so tired from the fact that she never gotten up this early and she fell right back asleep… _

… _Later on, she was going to regret it… _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback _(Present time)

She snorted as she thought about this morning. It wasn't _her_ fault that she was so tired and never woke up at four in the morning! Besides, what crazed loon woke up their maid in four in the morning?!

She soon found out why…

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(Couple of hours later)

_All was peaceful in the apartment complex Leon owned. He sat at a little round wooden table and ate his usual breakfast, which contained his favorite: buttermilk pancakes and coffee. _

_As our young hero's big brother was eating, someone entered into his living quarters from the front door. _

"_Hey Leon, morning" Tifa greeted and sat down at the table across from him and ate the pancakes he made for her before she came here. This was a normal ritual between the two friends. Usually, Tifa would come over and eat breakfast with Leon and was usually joined by Namine as well. Speaking of the blonde… _

"_OH CCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPP!!!!" followed by many crashes and bangs after the shout that could wake the dead. Leon and Tifa just calmly sipped their coffee as the crashes and bangs continued throughout the apartment complex. _

"_Namine's up" Tifa stated and Leon nodded his agreement. Five seconds later, Leon's door was slammed opened harshly as a disheveled Namine stood at the door wearing baggy jeans and a navy blue t-shirt that was too big for her stopping at her mid thigh and the sleeves stopped at her elbows with her usual brown combat boots. _

"_Morning Namine" Tifa said in greeting. Namine was too busy scrambling in the fridge to greet with a morning hug so she just waved. Tifa and Leon were quite used to this behavior from the younger woman. However, she looked more in a hurry than usual. _

"_You're late, I'm guessing" Leon stated as he sipped his coffee again. _

"_Totally" Namine said and drank out of the orange juice carton, not even bothering to get a cup. She wiped her mouth when she was done and put the carton back in the fridge. Leon's eye twitched when he saw her doing that. _

"_You know, I might consider you as a sister but that doesn't mean I'm willing to drink from that carton after you put your germs in it" he told her. Tifa just chuckled as Namine pouted and stated. _

"_You don't _even_ drink orange juice that much," she told him. She went over to the table, picked up a piece of toast with butter on it, and placed it in her mouth. After that, she went straight towards the door. Tifa and Leon looked at her strangely; even if Namine was late, she never skipped breakfast. She must be _really_ late then. _

"_That's all you're eating?" asked Leon. Usually, she would eat an army's full. Namine nodded since she had toast in her mouth. She was just about to head out the door when Tifa called her back. _

"_Yo, you forgot something" she said as she held up Namine's trademark madras. Namine quickly slipped it on and left out the door, not bothering to shut it as she left. Her glasses bobbled up and down on her nose as she raced down the stairs with a piece of toast still in her mouth as her hands were too busy putting her short shoulder length hair in a low messy ponytail. _

_She practically tripped down the stairs five times instead of her usual three… _

_

* * *

_

_Still flashback _(Uptown New York: Namine's new bosses' residence)

_All five men were calmly eating their breakfast as Namine slammed opened the double doors leading to the huge dining room that wasn't really necessary for just five men to be eating in it. _

_She panted on the marble tilled floor on all fours, clearly exhausted from the sprint she just did from the slums all the way to Uptown, and mind you, Uptown is on the other side of New York City from the slums so that was an amazing feat from the blonde woman. _

"_You're late" Roxas stated as he continued eating his breakfast. _

"_Tell me something I don't know" Namine retorted still panting. Roxas glanced at her before going back to his food. _

"_Your fashion sense is horrible as usual," he told her. Namine glared at the blonde. _

"_Nami-chan, you look like you just ran a 100 meter dash," Demyx said concerned for the blonde who had not got up from her position from the floor due to the fact that all her adrenaline from running was completely wiped. _

"_With the distance between here and my apartment, I should think so" she told them finally getting up from the floor and was now gazing at them from the other end of the table, which is a _very _long way down. _

"_Whether or not you ran 100 meters, that still makes you late," Riku told her putting down his newspaper. "Axel_ did_ give you a wake up call this morning, didn't he?" he asked. Namine glared at him remembering the rude awakening she had. _

"_You damn right he did! Which reminds me, _WHY_ the hell did you wake me up at four in the morning!?" she said outraged. _

"_Told ya she wasn't a morning person" Axel muttered, but everyone clearly heard him. "If you think the little lady's tough now, wait til you hear what she's like in the morning. Man, she was a total vixen!" he said as he ate some more of his cereal. _

"_You'll see when we're done eating breakfast," Riku told her also taking a bite out of his cereal. "Until then, Sora, could you get her something to eat? Her stomach's been growling since she came in here" Riku asked as Sora got up and took his empty bowl. He gestured for Namine to follow as she was blushing in embarrassment from the growling noises her stomach was making. She guessed this was her stomach's way of getting revenge for not feeding it. _

_

* * *

_

_When they reached the kitchen, (what a surprise, it's classy and expensive!) Sora got a bowl from the cabinet and a box of fruity pebbles. It was then Namine realized that all they had in the cabinet at the moment was cereal. Sora handed her the bowl and spoon after putting milk in and both sat down at the kitchen table never once breaking the silence. _

"_Sorry, we only have cereal for breakfast if you haven't noticed already" Sora apologized. _

"_Why is that? I thought rich people would have a gourmet type of breakfast," Namine told him as she ate the fruity pebbles hungrily causing Sora to look at her ill table manners in amusement. _

"_Well, we did have that sorta thing when we lived with all our parents, but none of us know how to cook so it's cereal for breakfast and restaurants for lunch and dinner" he replied. _

"_Did you even _try_ to cook? Or did you just assume you couldn't?" Namine asked dryly to her companion. As the saying goes, you never know until you try, right? Sora scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and gave a nervous laugh. _

"_Well, believe it or not, when we all moved in together, we tried" he replied. _

"_What happened?" Namine asked excited as she finished her cereal. _

"_Um, let's just say that we learned to not to trust ourselves with a stove, _ever_, especially Riku" he told her clearly not wanting to elaborate on the incident. Namine pouted on not being able to hear the incident and Sora laughed at her expression. _

"_But I guess we won't have to have cereal anymore since you're here now" Sora said as Namine gathered her bowl, his bowl, and both spoons and headed for the sink to rinse off the dirty dishes. Namine laughed at that statement. _

"_I doubt I'll be much of an improvement compared to the high life cooking you guys are used too" she told him with her back facing him, not seeing the disapproving look Sora gave here. He sighed and got up from his seat at the small kitchen table and went behind Namine as she continued to clean the dishes. _

_Namine felt Sora put his arms around her waist and laid his chin on her shoulder. However, since she was small he had to bend down a little to do it. She didn't say anything since she knew he wouldn't try anything and continued cleaning the dishes. _

"_You know, I don't like it when you put yourself down like that," Sora told her. "In fact, I'm sure that _your_ cooking will be very delicious compared to the food we had to eat all our lives, you know why?" he asked her. _

"_Not really" Namine stated as she dried the bowl. She felt Sora's hold on her slightly tighten in an affectionate way. She felt his warm breath against her ear and she knew he was grinning. _

"_Because it's home made and not some classy knockoff" he told her. She wondered what Sora meant by that. Didn't his parents ever cook meals for him or something? Deciding not to voice the question, she replied. _

"_Whatever you say" she told him and moved out of his hold to put the dishes away. Sora smiled at her and they each went back to the dining room where the others were done eating and handing Namine their plates. Having got the drift that she was to clean them instead (talk about lazy) she quickly, yet successfully cleaned the dishes and put them away. However, when she came back she saw that each male had a mischievous smirk on his face as if they knew something she didn't and that honestly scared the living daylights our of her. Playing it cool, Namine asked irritably _

"_What?" she asked in irritation. Riku just gestured her to follow them replied to her. _

"_You'll see," he told her. Namine had a bad feeling about this. _

"_It's what we wanted you to come over for, Nami-chan" Demyx said happily as he bounced beside her. She wondered if Demyx was always this sugar high. Roxas seemed to have read her mind and whispered. _

"_We originally had coco puffs for breakfast, but Demyx was too hyper after that so we changed to fruity pebbles," he whispered as they watched Demyx bouncing up and down. "And if he's _this_ hyper, that means he's really happy" he smirked at her. _

_Namine _seriously_ had a bad feeling about this… _

* * *

"_Are you fricken serious?" asked Namine as she stood in the entrance hall to the mansion that she would be working in with cleaning supplies. "It will take forever to clean this place up!" Namine shouted at the men who decided to put her through hell. They looked at her in a nonchalant manner as she glared at them. _

"_You didn't think this would be all fun and games did you?" asked Roxas. "We needed a maid so we interviewed for one. What did you think we were interviewing for? A good time?" he asked. Namine didn't dare answer and picked up her cleaning supplies and began trudging up the marble stairs with a gloom cloud over her head. _

"_We'll be back later in the evening so we expect the place to be spotless" Riku told her as they all headed out the door to the limo and shut the door behind them leaving Namine alone to her cleaning. _

_Now she knew why they called her so early, it will take forever to clean this place… _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback _(Present time)

So here she is now, cleaning with her own two hands an entire mansion! And since the mansion was so fricken big, it will take her centuries to clean it all on her own!

Man, fate was really cruel…

As Namine scrubbed the sink of one of the many bathrooms, she wondered if she was only put into this world so God can have some entertainment to keep him occupied and now he recruited Fate and Lady Luck to join him in his merriment of her misery.

Man, life really sucks doesn't it…

"Well, one bathroom down, another million to go" Namine said as she dragged her cleaning supplies to the next bathroom.

She decided that the best way to clean this mumbo jumbo mansion they call a house was for her to develop a cleaning plan. First, she would do all the bathrooms. Second, the dining room and all the other big rooms that she could find. And finally, the bedrooms. Anything that didn't fit into the bedroom category like hallways and staircases went with the big-rooms-that-weren't-bedrooms-category.

* * *

So far, her plan has been going well for her. However, it was difficult also considering that she had no idea where everything is and thereby had to hunt all the bathrooms down and the fact that every room in this mansion was too big! Especially too big for one little blonde-haired klutz to clean! 

Speaking of her clumsiness, that made her cleaning quest more difficult. So far, she had tripped down four staircases, slammed straight into two doors, slipped on water and fell on her back six times "WAH!" … make that _seven _times, and finally, had all the cleaning supplies fall on top of her three times. Yup, clumsiness is not something she's proud of, nor can she understand why Tifa claims it makes her look cuter when it's so painful!

* * *

After many falls and trips later, Namine was done with the bathrooms and was finishing up with the kitchen. She only had two more big hallways and the dining room to go before moving on to the bedrooms (that means _all _the bedrooms, not just her bosses'). 

Who knew that they had so many rooms in this place? During her escapades, Namine discovered a game room- which had a lot of cool games that Namine made a note to try our later when her bosses weren't home- a library- another thing Namine made a note to check out when she was alone (_cough _occult manic _cough)_- a study that was connected to the library, a swimming pool complete with water side, ("rich bastards" Namine grumbled") and a lot of other things you wouldn't normally find in a house!

"Geez, who knew rich people were so needy?" Namine muttered as she mopped the kitchen floor. Right now her clothes were soaked from water accidents like falling into the pool and cleaning the baths and showers, a couple of strands were starting to come out of her ponytail, and she smelled of Windex. She abandoned her madras on the couch of the living room a while ago since she didn't want it to get ruined, which was a good idea with all the stuff that's been happening to her.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that those morons wanted this to happen," Namine said as she glared at the huge portrait with all five men in it hanging in the family room above the big fireplace. Talk about a major ego boost.

* * *

She was all done with the big-rooms-that-don't-fit-in-the-bedrooms-category and was basically done all the guest rooms. All she had left were the bedrooms of the egoists themselves. It was getting close to dinnertime and Namine wanted to eat something since she skipped lunch just to clean. 

Now normally, it would take a person thousands of years to clean a mansion this size single-handedly, but remember that Namine has been cleaning ever since she was two and has kept things in order in her apartment all her life. It doesn't matter if this place was so big, and despite Namine's complaints, she was able to work diligently and cleaned the whole house.

Besides, she wanted to see the looks on those bastards' faces when she actually accomplished her task. Man, _that_ would be hilarious!

Therefore, with that thought in her mind all day, Namine had gained the ambition to work hard and accomplish her goal and skipped lunch (although that was _very _hard and painful to do). After thinking that, she opened the door to one of the bedrooms she didn't clean.

It was messy with clothes thrown everywhere and had red painted walls with red blankets and red four-poster bed. The walls were decorated with posters of motorcycles and some having flames in them. The dresser looked to be made of oak and so did the computer desk with a red spinning chair and finally there was a huge plasma flat screen tv and a fireplace. The place screamed pryo manic. Only one thought came to Namine's mind when she saw the room: Axel's room…

"If this isn't a pryo's room, I don't know what is" Namine said as she gathered the clothes on the floor and placed them in the hamper. After that, she dusted the dresser and computer desk along with the bookshelf that hardly had any books on it. Instead, it had pictures of Axel and the others, but most of them were of Axel and Roxas. They looked to be in their teenager stage of life.

_They look like grinning idiots, _she thought as she looked at them, but still, it was good that they were happy in the picture. A sad picture would be so depressing.

When Namine was done straightening up Axel's room, she vacuumed and cleaned his personal bathroom, which only caused her to slip one time instead of the usual four.

* * *

Namine opened the door to the next bedroom she found. It looked as if a musician lived there with all the music lyrics everywhere and instruments stacked neatly on the rack as well as a flat plasma screen tv and fireplace in this room as well. But what amazed Namine the most was the piano in the room. She delicately ran her fingers along it as if she was afraid to break it. 

Namine had always loved the piano, even when she was a child. She remembered when she was eight and her dad used to play on a keyboard that Mrs. Lockhart gave them because Tifa didn't want it anymore. She always begged her dad to play for her and Kairi before they went to bed and it always soothed her mind into sleep.

She wondered who owned this room. It really didn't give her any clues like Axel's did. Maybe it was Roxas's? nah, he seemed too cocky to play music. Riku? No way! Too serious, he seemed more the business type of guy. So it was either Demyx's or Sora's.

She did the same routine with Axel's room: picked up and organized, dusted, made bed, then vacuumed followed by cleaning personal bathroom. However, when Namine was done, she found out who's room it was.

It turned out to be Demyx's if the photos of him, Axel, and Roxas were any indication. She didn't see any pictures of him with Sora and Riku when they were preteens or kids (she didn't see any childhood pictures really) so they must have not have known each other that far back.

* * *

If this room didn't scream cocky skater boy than Namine was definitely a brunette. Posters of skaters hung on the walls as the four-poster bed was unmade, flat plasma screen tv, and clothes were everywhere and there were a couple of skateboard pieces such as wheels and screws on the floor too. Even on the computer desk, there were some tools for skateboards along with a couple of photos of Roxas and Axel, meaning this was Roxas's room. 

She had to say that cleaning the cocky blonde's room was a challenge since he was so damn messy and she was so damn clumsy. Luckily, God seemed to have given her his occasionally pity ploy and she didn't step on anything like a screw or tool, not much anyway. However, she did slip on a wheel a lot and landed on the floor occasionally landing on a bolt or screw but that was about it and got covered in soot from his fireplace. Once done with the hard task, Namine dusted and vacuumed her way through Roxas's once jungle now turned to bedroom, but tripped over the cord of the vacuum eight times and fell into his shower twice and his bathtub three times. After she exited the death trap, Namine breathed a sigh in relief that she was still alive.

"I'm never going into that room again"

* * *

Sora's room was a tad neater than the rest of the group so far. In which Namine was thankful for since she had enough bruises, aches, and pains to last her for one day. There were some clothes littered on the floor, but it wasn't a sea of clothes. Compared to the other rooms, Sora seemed to be organized a little bit. She figured it must be because they were so used to a maid doing the cleaning for them, but then again it makes her wonder how they could stand living in those rooms before she came. Perhaps it's a mystery that will never be solved. 

His room was pretty plain besides the fact that it had a four-poster bed and the size of the room was enormous just like the rest of the rooms and it had a plasma flat screen tv and fireplace like all the other rooms. However, Namine did notice a lot of books on the stuffs that she didn't bother looking at since she was too busy cleaning and dusting to observe. She guessed the brunette liked to read a lot, which is something they have in common. Upon further notice did Namine find pictures of Riku and Sora when they looked to be about fifthteen, but none of the others were with them at that age or even younger. The most recent group photo she discovered looked as if Roxas and Sora were eighteen.

As she continued dusting, she noticed another picture that was face down. She picked up the object and examined it closely. It looked to be a picture of a woman with brown hair and brown eyes and a man with dark brown hair that looked a little spiky and blue eyes: Sora's eyes. In the woman's arms was a baby with a tuff of brown hair like her own and its eyes were closed. However, what really caught Namine's eye is that one side of the picture, the side the man stood, had looked as if something was ripped off of it.

_That's strange, _she thought. And what's more strange is that the picture was faced down, like the owner didn't what to look at it at all. Deciding to leave the matter alone for now, Namine put the picture back the way it was less she wants Sora bringing up the subject and yelling at her. She quietly made her quest to the last bedroom as she thought about the photo. Whatever was up, Namine knew that it wasn't something wanting to de shared. After all, she should know that feeling more than anyone does since she did the same thing with her family photo because she never wanted to look at it again.

* * *

Was God being generous or what? Riku's room was practically all done for her. Everything was well kept and in place. She supposed that serious men keep their rooms clean since Leon is the same way and Kairi also told her Cloud was like that also. 

Riku's room was slightly different from the others since it looked as if his room was also a personal study. There were shelves of books and a desk with a computer and a desk lamp. There was also a fireplace much bigger than the others' fireplaces (Oh yes, she _definitely_ won't forget _that_ cleaning experience due to the fact that she was covered in soot as well as damp from the water!) with two armchairs and a four-poster bed. It wasn't as extravagant as the other study she saw, but it was something.

As Namine dusted Riku's desk, she noticed the computer was still on and that the screen was black (A/n: you know, when you don't move your mouse for a long time and the screen goes black on you). She moved the mouse to see the screen again because the black screen annoyed her. However, Namine was not expecting to see the image on the desktop before her.

"Awwww" Namine cooed. There on the desktop was a picture of Sora and Riku when they were six or seven. Sora had cake all over his face and was making the goofiest face Namine had seen and Riku stood beside him with cake in his hair and some on his cheek doing the same. They appeared to be wearing basketball uniforms, which meant that they must've won the championship or something. Honestly, Namine just wanted to steal that picture right off the desktop for two reasons. One: it could be used as serious blackmail to Riku since you would _never_ think that the serious guy would make a goofy face like that and Two: The picture was just so _cute_!

Having decided that she wanted to get her work done, Namine turned away from the picture and planned to ask Riku to give her a copy when he was in a good mood. As she was finishing the vacuuming for the silver haired male's room, her thoughts drifted to her bosses.

It was strange really, that she hardly knows anything about them. Heck, she doesn't know anything about them except for the fact that they're rich and they're loved by many women. Namine began wondering about their childhoods, when did they meet? Were they rivals at first? What were their families like? All these questions swirled around in her head all at once making her dizzy. She finally finished vacuuming and sat done in one of the armchairs of the room to calm down her dizziness. However, the dizziness would not leave her.

_I'll just rest for a bit, _she thought, _then I'll go home and take a shower because God knows I need it from all the cleaning supplies, falling into pools and bathtubs while cleaning, being soaked, and being covered in soot from the stupid fireplaces, _she thought tiredly.

That was the last thing she thought before drifting off to sleep…

* * *

It was about nine in the evening when the five occupants of the mansion returned. They stared wide-eyed and mouths agape at the spotless display of their home. They have never seen it this spotless since they moved in and that was about seven months ago! 

Everything was silent until…

"Hey Roxas, pay up. I won the bet," Axel said breaking the silence and all the men turned to see a peeved Roxas giving a smirking Axel fifty dollars.

"Shut up, you got lucky" he told the redhead, but the redhead just kept smirking as he waved the fifty dollars in front of the blonde tauntingly.

"Not luck little pal, just faith in our lovable house cleaner," he said as he pocketed the money. Axel then looked around as if searching for something, "Speaking of which, where is the little lady?" he asked. It was true, the blonde woman was nowhere to be found.

"Maybe she went home," Demyx suggested.

"No, I don't think she's the type to leave without permission, even if she is mad at us for making her clean" Riku said and began going up the staircase.

"Where are you going?" asked Roxas suspiciously.

"To look for her of course," Riku replied as if he was stating the obvious. Roxas growled and began going upstairs too, but Riku stopped him.

"You look down here Roxas" he told the blonde boy, "It's best if we split up to look" he said. Each of them nodded and went to a different floor. Only Roxas and Riku were left on the staircase. Roxas was still glaring at him and said.

"Why make us search when you probably know where she is?" he asked in irritation. For some reason, he didn't like Namine alone with Riku. Riku just gave off a smirk and patted his head like he were a child which Roxas slapped his hand away in annoyance. He hated it when people did that!

"It's only fair that I get some time with her like you did, right?" he asked. Roxas grumbled knowing that he had lost and went down the stairs to watch tv and let Riku have a turn to spend time with Namine. As Riku said, it was only fair…

* * *

Riku entered each of the bedrooms and marveled how well she cleaned everything. It was as if he walked into the wrong house or something. Finally, after not finding her in any of the others' bedrooms, he checked his own, and what do you know? There Namine was asleep in the armchair. However, Riku was not pleased with the way she looked. 

Namine was covered in soot and was soaked to the bone. Her hair was a mess but was still intact in the ponytail and she smelt of Windex. He noticed she was not wearing her madras that he usually sees her with and noticed she was shivering like mad and her lips were slightly blue.

Riku put his hand to her forehead and winced at the temperature. Looks like she caught a fever from the overworking and not cleaning herself up after she was done. He sighed, picked her up bridal style, and placed her on his bed for a more comfortable and warm sleep. She stirred slightly but did not wake up as he stroked her cheek. She let out a comfortable sigh before going quiet again.

Having decided that he should call off the search and tell them Namine has a fever, he got up from his bed, but Namine whimpered and held on to his wrist.

"Warmth, stay" she whispered sleepily. Riku chuckled and got his hand back. After all, he didn't think that Namine would be happy if she woke up to find him cuddling with her. He removed her glasses and placed them on the nightstand beside his bed.

Before he went out the door, he looked at Namine again and smiled. He could let her have the bed tonight, just once…

But she would have to wash the sheets as soon as she's better…

**

* * *

**

**Karin Ochibi-chan: There, all done! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'm so glad that this story is liked by the readers! This is my first story where I got ten reviews and it's all thanks to you guys I've been updating this so quick! You guys rock! **

**Axel: Thanks, I know I rock**

**Karin Ochibi-chan: not you! The readers and reviewers! **

**Demyx: When will I get my turn with Nami-chan?**

**Karin Ochibi-chan: probably next chapter, the same for pryo over there. **

**Axel: Finally! **

**Chapter six- preview**

"_Urgh, I feel like I just got ran over by a truck," replied Namine as she lied in bed. Demyx gave her a sympathetic smile. Suddenly, his smile turned into a huge grin as an idea came to his mind. _

"_Hey Nami-chan, I'll be right back so stay right there, okay?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he dashed out of the room leaving a confused Namine. _

"_It's not like I can go anywhere with this cold" she muttered and laid back on the pillows staring up at the ceiling. She was so bored! _

**Karin Ochibi-chan: well, there you have it folks! Thanks again to all the people who reviewed this story so far and hopefully others will review as well. **

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!! I'd really appreciate it. Thanks! **


	6. Namine Narumi: THe Patient

**Karin Ochibi-chan: Yay! More reviews for Karin! I'm so happy I could just cry! **

**Roxas: just don't flood the place**

**Axel: yeah, we don't want to drown **

**Sora: I got my floaties so Author-chan, you can cause the second world flood now**

**Riku: hey what about us!?**

**Sora: what about you? **

**Karin Ochibi-chan: this confuses Author-chan so I'm just going to get on with it. Thanks to all the reviews and thanks to **_**xxKingdom-Hearts-Fanxx, **__**xxjust-a-nobodyxx, Yuleen75, Vogue Addiction, and cHeRrYbLOssOm07 **_**for reviewing last chapter. **

**Demyx: As you notice, Author-chan loves reviews and is proud that people like her story. **

**Roxas: and it makes her get off her lazy bum to update much faster**

**Karin Ochibi-chan: see what the power of reviews can do! **

**Axel: stop rambling like idiots! I want to have a moment with Namine! **

**Demyx: me too! **

**

* * *

**

**Recap: **

"_Warmth, stay" she whispered sleepily. Riku chuckled and got his hand back. After all, he didn't think that Namine would be happy if she woke up to find him cuddling with her. He removed her glasses and placed them on the nightstand beside his bed. _

_Before he went out the door, he looked at Namine again and smiled. He could let her have the bed tonight, just once…_

_But she would have to wash the sheets as soon as she's better… _

**End of recap: **

**

* * *

**

**Namine Narumi- The Patient**

Ever wake up in the morning and feel like crap? Well, if you have then you must know what Namine feels like at this very moment.

"Ugh, my head" Namine groaned out as she massaged it as if to mellow the pain. She felt as if she had a hangover or something. Not that she ever drank alcohol, that was beside the point!

As Namine struggled to sit up a voice stopped her.

"Oy, lie down! You want to make yourself even sicker?" the question was asked irritably. Namine turned to find Roxas leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and he looked annoyed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Namine asked as she glared at the blonde. Roxas ignored her question and walked over to the bed. He placed his hand on her forehead and removed it.

"I live here stupid unless you forgot?" he retorted. "Your fever seemed to have gone down a bit but you still have to stay in bed," he told her. Namine looked at him startled.

"I'm sick?!" she exclaimed, but it soon turned into a coughing fit. Roxas rubbed her back as she coughed roughly.

"Well anyone would be sick if they were soaking wet and overworking themselves" Roxas said and got up to leave seeing that she was fine.

"A doctor is coming later in the day to check on you so for, now get some rest" he told her and left the room. Namine huffed when he left.

"It's your fault I had to overwork. Who needs all this space for five men?" she muttered to herself annoyed at the rich people's petty needs. She lied back on the bed in boredom and stared up at the ceiling. Judging by the scenery, she was in Riku's room she supposed.

"Must've passed out I guess" Namine said as she turned on her side in the covers. That made logical sense since she's in one of her bosses' beds and feels like crap.

Man, Namine absolutely _hated _getting sick! It was total and utter boredom and you fall behind on so many things. Plus, the runny nose, sore throat, and headache were a pain in the ass!

_Oh well, at least a doctor's coming, _she thought, _I hope none of this comes out of my pay though. That would suck big time! _She thought as she felt her eyes going heavy. She might as well get some shuteye since there's nothing else for her to do.

She hoped she would get better soon.

* * *

As Namine snoozed, the five men were in the entrance hall. Riku, Sora, and Roxas had to go out today and take care of their companies so that left Demyx and Axel with taking care of Namine duty. 

"Make sure she rests" Riku told them. Demyx and Axel saluted.

"Right" they said.

"And when she wakes up again make sure she showers. She smelled like Windex," Roxas said.

"And it's not good for her to be dirty while she's sick" Sora added.

"Yeah, yeah, we _know _how to take care of a sick person" Axel told them. Demyx nodded and saluted again.

"You can count on us to take care of Nami-chan!" he said enthusiastically.

"Okay, but-"Sora started, but Axel pushed them out the door.

"Stop acting like mother hens and get going!" Axel commanded.

"I was going to say, don't kill her with your cooking" Sora stated.

* * *

When Namine woke up, she smelt the tasty aroma of food. Her mouth watered slightly as she rose from the pillows into a sitting position to see Axel bring in a tray of soup. 

"From the way your mouth is mouth is watering, you're definitely hungry," he said amused. Namine just gave a grin.

"Can you blame me? I skipped lunch _and _dinner" Namine told him. "That should be illegal!" Namine told him waving her arms for empathies. Axel just laughed at her expression.

"From the expression on your face, you seem to like food a _lot,_" Axel said as he set the tray on the bedside table. He noticed Namine wasn't wearing her glasses, which made her look even prettier.

_This girl has no idea how good she looks, _Axel thought. While she did look cute and adorable with the glasses, she looked more grown up and mature without them. He wondered if he could somehow trick her into getting contacts.

But then Axel remembered the woman's temper and _that _was something that he didn't want to be the object of. Axel mentally shuddered at how scary she was when she snapped at them at the restaurant.

"What's with you? Cat got your tongue?" Namine asked when she noticed Axel was silent.

"You want to check?" Axel asked ringing his eyebrows up and down and Namine whacked him on the head.

"I'll pass" she said and placed her glasses on. "Anyway, can I have the food now?" she asked. Axel pretended to be mad at her and turned himself away from her while crossing his arms.

"I don't think you deserve it after that whack on my head," he told her. Namine seemed to have gotten the drift and played along. After all, it's not like she doesn't do this sorta thing herself.

"Oh yes, mighty overlord, how dare I for hitting your thick noggin? I obviously don't deserve the food that you have graciously given me," she said and bended down a little as if bowing for forgiveness. Axel laughed and ruffled her hair.

"You really are something, you know that?" he asked as he handed her the bowl. Namine was just about to eat it when she stopped dead and placed the spoon back in the soup. Axel looked at her strangely.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She looked at him in suspicion before replying.

"Who made the soup?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Axel asked confused. Namine sighed and pointed to the soup.

"I mean, none of you made the soup right?" she asked. Axel seemed to have gotten the drift and asked.

"Who told you about that? I thought that story was never to be brought up again" Axel said as he thought of the possible person who dared talked about "the incident"

"Oh relax," Namine told him, "Sora didn't elaborate, but he did say that none of you will ever trust each other with a stove again" she said. Axel wiped his forehead of imaginary sweat and let out a breath.

"That's a relief," he said, "because that story will probably have our fans and the whole country- no, the whole _world_- laugh at us" he told her. Namine looked at him strangely.

"Was it that bad?" she asked.

"Let's just say that if I told you the whole story, then you would die laughing in the next half an hour" he said. He put his arms behind his head and laid back on the foot of the bed.

"And by the way, we ordered that soup; I can't believe that even _you _think that Demyx and I are going to poison you. Sheesh" he said. Namine laughed.

"Well, you seem like the type" she told him. Axel was very entertaining to talk to so she might as well have fun with it right? Axel looked at her offended.

"That's harsh, little lady" he said, "Besides it isn't my fault that I'm not Mr. Serious like Riku. It's too boring to be like that all the time. I don't know how those three do it," he said as he closed his eyes.

"Those three?" asked Namine. Axel nodded.

"Unlike me and Demyx, who can hardly be serious for a long time, Riku, Roxas and Sora can act like that for hours, but I guess it's because they have so many company shindigs to attend and make good impressions that they have to be that way" he replied.

"Don't you have to do those things too, Axel?" Namine asked confused.

"Not as much as they do," he replied, "You see, Sora, Riku, and Roxas own very important companies. More important than mine and Demyx's put together. It's a shame really that they have to bare all that stuff when they're the youngest of us" he explained.

"So, how did you guys come together like this then?" asked Namine hesitantly. Axel just smiled and patted her head again.

"Sorry, that story's for another time" Axel apologized. "Now eat up before it gets cold," he told her. Axel got up from the bed and headed towards the door.

"By the way, take a shower after you're done, you reek of Windex"

* * *

Demyx sat in the living room as he waited for Axel to come downstairs from taking care of Namine. He hoped she was okay. Riku said she had a high fever last night and that she had to rest for a while. 

"Hey" Axel greeted as he plopped on the couch beside him. Demyx looked at the pryo and asked.

"How's Nami-chan?" he asked concerned. Axel just grinned and replied.

"Don't worry, she's fine. And I mean that in more ways than one" Axel said mischievously. Demyx tried to give him a disapproving look but it just turned into a grin.

"If the others heard you say that, you would be beaten to a bloody pulp," Demyx told him. Axel just waved it off.

"Hey, I'm only saying what they're thinking themselves. And you think the same thing too" he told him.

"True, but I like Nami-chan not because of that, but because she's really fun to be with and somehow she makes me happy," he told the pryo. Axel looked at him confused.

"How can you know that when you only known her for two days?" he asked the music-lover. Demyx sighed and grinned.

"Like everyone else: I just know" he replied. Axel chuckled and replied.

"Yeah, but she's too curious" he told his companion. Demyx looked at Axel in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean that she was curious about us" he replied. Demyx seemed to have gotten the drift. None of them never really shared their pasts with anyone besides the other males in the house. That's one of the reasons why they were so close.

"Did you-"

"No," Axel cut him off, "I wouldn't do something like that unless the others wanted me too," he told Demyx.

"That probably won't happen" Demyx stated.

"Who knows?" Axel asked, "That little vixen is full of surprises"

* * *

After a full twenty minutes of muttering about rich bastards and their petty needs, Namine was in the bathtub- more like a kiddy pool- and cleaning the soot and crap off her. 

"I hope I never have to smell Windex again," she said as she scrubbed herself. To be honest, Namine never liked taking a bath. Yes, it made her clean and that she was thankful for, but Namine didn't like to look at her body that much because she was teased about it at times. She was skinny, small, and scrawny, not to mention a little (okay, a lot) on the undeveloped side (flat chest, hardly any hips to flaunt, etc.). Kairi always told her it was nothing to be ashamed of; however, that wasn't the case. She wasn't _ashamed_ of her body! It's just that a lot of people never take her seriously until she packs the first punch which would probably be five minutes later after the insults. As you notice, Namine has a height complex.

It was understandable since she was very short. Heck, even Kairi was taller than she was! Yet another thing God likes to rub in her face. Her friends think her shortness is another one of her adorable traits, but as stated before, Namine doesn't care about appearance so she continues to wish one day she'll be tall enough to stomp on her bullies for calling her short throughout her life and swash them to a pulp. Mwhahahahahahaha!

But that won't happen since Namine knows she had stopped growing and will forever remain at that height because God is out to get her. Why couldn't God let her grow a little, huh? Was it too much to ask? She thinks she deserves a reward for suffering for his benefit all these years, right? Aw, forget it, she's not gonna win anyway…

* * *

Once she was done, she found clothes on the chair beside the towel rack. They were a pair of grey boxers and a baggy black t-shirt that was the same length as her navy t-shirt. After brushing her fingers through her hair a couple of times, (which wasn't tangled because of the conditioner) she crawled back into bed and laid there in boredom. She had taken the medicine that Axel gave her with the soup and she felt the drowsiness of the substance as a side effect. She once again felt the sensation of her eyes getting heavy and her mind fogging. 

She dreamed of being tall, but even in her dreams God made her suffer by making her short again…

* * *

"Hi Nami-chan," Demyx greeted as he came into the room a few hours later. "How are you feeling?" he asked. Namine was now fully awake and was rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them. 

"Urgh, I feel like I just got ran over by a truck," replied Namine as she lied in bed. Demyx gave her a sympathetic smile. Suddenly, his smile turned into a huge grin as an idea came to his mind.

"Hey Nami-chan, I'll be right back so stay right there, okay?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he dashed out of the room leaving a confused Namine.

"It's not like I can go anywhere with this cold" she muttered and laid back on the pillows staring up at the ceiling. She was so bored!

* * *

When Demyx came back, he held up a blue type of guitar with him. Namine looked at it curiously before asking. 

"What kind of guitar is that Demyx?" she asked pointing to the object. Demyx grinned and replied.

"It's my sitar!" he told her proudly. "And I'm going to play something for you" he said in a happy tone.

"Ooh really?" Namine asked excited like a little kid who had just been told they could have any toy they wanted in the toy store.

"Yep!" he chirped. "Any requests?" he asked her. She placed her expression in one in thought and shook her head.

"I'm afraid I don't know that many songs besides oldies and from musicals," she told him sadly. Demyx considered this for a moment and asked.

"What kind of musicals?" he asked her. She began listing them off with her fingers.

"Hairspray, Oklahoma, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Sound of Music, and a lot of others that I forgot the names" she told him.

"How about one of the songs from one of them?" Demyx suggested. Namine agreed and thought for a moment.

"Can you play _'My favorite things' _from The Sound of Music?" Namine asked excitedly. It was one of her favorite songs. Demyx nodded with a grin for he knew that song very well. It was one of the first songs he ever learned how to play.

Once he began with his sitar, Namine was amazed at how talented Demyx was with it. It was a very touching melody that made her smile. It was as calm and flowing as water, but as passionate and mind blowing as fire. After a couple of lines with his sitar, he began to sing along with it quietly. However, since he began caught in the tune, he began to sing aloud- with an awesome singing voice, Namine might add- and she joined in too despite her almost gone sore throat. Both sang together in a happy tune as if they were in kindergarten and all of the class was singing along to the music.

Another voice had joined in the merriment as Axel sung along with them. He was singing as energetically with them, but he didn't know the lyrics as much as they did so he made up funny ones of his own which caused the other two to laugh while singing.

Just then, the doctor came in and thought he had entered a mental hospital.

* * *

"I'm sorry about that," the doctor told them as he was listening to Namine's breathing patterns. "It's just that it was so funny I had to chuckle. After all, you don't see grown adults sing to musicals these days, especially two CEOs and a sick 21-year-old woman" he apologized. 

"Actually, you were rolling on the floor and laughing your head off" Axel said as the doctor took out a needle. Namine went pale.

"Is that really necessary?" she asked as she edged away from him. Did Namine ever mention she had a needle phobia?

"If you want to get better then yes," he told her sympathetically. Namine whimpered.

"But I hate needles" she whined.

"Don't worry, it will only feel like a pinch" he told her. Namine still didn't give him her arm.

"That's what they all say," she told him. "But it feels more like a prick than a pinch" she told him.

"If you know that, why don't you get it over with?" Axel asked.

"Because it's evil," she said as she glared at the pointy thing.

"Namine, if you do this you'll get better and won't have to be stuck in bed" the doctor told her. "I'm not going to lie to you, it will hurt slightly, but it will be quick and then you can go back to what you and your friends were doing, okay?' he asked her. Namine considered this and held out her arm. She shut her eyes and squeezed Demyx's hand with her other hand. She could do this; she could conquer the evil of needles!

She was ready! Wait until that needle gets to her skin. She won't be afraid, no sir! Take that needle! Namine is all-powerful and you're nothing. Do you hear me? Nothing! She thought all this as she waited for the prick.

She waited…

Waited…

Waited…

… she's still waiting…

…can this needle hurry it up? The suspense is killing her…

"Um, Nami-chan? He's all done" Demyx told her. She opened her eyes and sure enough, the doctor was all done with the evil shot. Halleluiah!

"You must have been daydreaming too much to notice," the doctor told her. She blushed in embarrassment and nodded.

"What were you thinking about, Nami-chan?" asked Demyx. Not wanting to share her thoughts on insulting a needle, she replied.

"Just thinking about the next song we should sing," she told him happily. Axel snorted and stated.

"No you weren't. You were insulting the needle, weren't you?" he asked. Namine blushed and began protesting.

"Don't worry Nami-chan, Axel insults the needle too when he has to get a shot" Demyx told her.

"Shut up Demyx! That's the last time I trust you with my secrets!" Axel told him as both Demyx and Namine laughed at his expression.

"Axel, don't worry, we'll fight the evil needle together!" Namine exclaimed in conviction. "Oh, by the way, doc" Namine said after thinking of something. The doctor turned to her and replied.

"My name is Vexen. What is it?' he asked curiously. Namine held up the sitar and grinned.

"Any requests?"

* * *

It was almost dinnertime by the time Riku, Roxas, and Sora got back to the mansion. Each of them were anxious to see how Namine was doing since they couldn't call earlier to check up on her. 

They also worried on how Axel and Demyx were taking care of her and hoped that the immature men didn't try to corrupt her or anything. You never knew when it comes to those two really.

"We're back!" Sora's voice echoed in the entrance hall. Silence answered the young man.

"Where is everybody?" asked Sora. The other two shrugged and headed upstairs to Riku's room where Namine was residing. However, when all three men opened the door, they never expected what was on the other side.

There Axel, Demyx, Namine, and apparently the doctor were, dancing and singing to songs from the Sound of Music as the movie was playing on Riku's plasma tv. Axel swung Namine in his arms bridal style around as she cried out in glee while Axel sung his made up funny lyrics. Demyx was playing his sitar and dancing as well. The doctor, Vexen, was also dancing next to Demyx.

"What the hell?" Roxas asked and they all froze and stared at the newcomers wide-eyed as if they were caught in the act of doing something wrong. His gaze went to all of them, then came at Namine, and noticed she was wearing _his _clothes. He felt his face heat up a bit at that and he could tell the other two were slightly blushing by seeing Namine in boxers also. It was then that all three men came to a silent agreement.

They are _never _leaving Namine alone with Axel and Demyx again, _ever_...

**

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**Karin Ochibi-chan: so what do you think? **

**Axel: I like the ending. **

**Demyx: me too **

**Roxas: we were hardly in this chapter.**

**Sora and Riku: Yeah! **

**Karin Ochibi-chan: it's only fair since you guys got your time with Namine**

**Axel: she's got a point**

**Demyx: it's only fair**

**Roxas, Riku, and Sora: yeah, sure, whatever… **

**Chapter seven-preview: **

_Namine sighed as she looked up at the night sky in her small, but homey apartment. The stars twinkled since in the slums there was hardly any electricity. She smiled and got under the covers with Moogle at her feet for a peaceful sleep._

_However, Namine Narumi was in for a rude awakening. A _VERY_ rude awakening at that…_

**Karin Ochibi-chan: well, that's it! Please remember to review and thanks again! **

**See ya later!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!! Because Author-chan loves reviews and it makes her update faster. **


	7. Namine Narumi: The Sister

**Karin-chin: Yay! Today's my birthday! And I'm updating too (that's a bonus!). Oh and since "Karin Ochibi-chan" is getting too exhausting to type all the time, I'll be calling myself "Karin-chin" or "Karin-chan" for short! **

**Roxas, Axel, and Riku: you have no life! **

**Karin-chin: It isn't MY fault that people like this story! **

**Roxas: yes it is, you're the author stupid! **

**Sora, Riku, Demyx, and Axel: **_**(gasp) **_**Roxas!**

**Roxas: what? **

**Axel: dude, we do NOT insult the author!**

**Roxas: why?**

**Karin-chin: just for your comment Roxas, you're not going to appear in this chapter! Oh and thanks to **_**Mooncry, X-The Random Vampire-X, xxjust-a-nobodyxx, HyperShadowGirl11228, hanakitsunechan7, Yuleen75 **_**(thanks for the muffin!), **_**SuperJgirl5,Winged Serenity, naminememories12, Vogue Addiction**_**, and**_** cHeRrYbLOssOm07**_** for reviewing last chapter! **

**Roxas: WHAT?! You can't do that! **

**Sora: sorry Roxas technically she can. **

**Axel, Demyx, and Riku: because she's the author! **

**Karin-chin: And what I say goes! **

**Roxas: Crud! **

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**Recap: **

"_What the hell?" Roxas asked and they all froze and stared at the newcomers wide-eyed as if they were caught in the act of doing something wrong. His gaze went to all of them, then came at Namine, and noticed she was wearing his clothes. He felt his face heat up a bit at that and he could tell the other two were slightly blushing by seeing Namine in boxers also. It was then that all three men came to a silent agreement. _

_They are _never_ leaving Namine alone with Axel and Demyx again, _ever_… _

**End of Recap: **

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* * *

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**Namine Narumi- The Sister**

_Faster. That's all she thought in her head as the little blonde haired girl ran in the pouring rain panting like a hound dog. Her legs screamed for her to stop, but she ignored them and urged herself to go faster. _

_She had to find her. She just _had _to find her… _

* * *

It has been three days since Namine's sick day. The men had given her a four-day leave to rest up and tomorrow she would go back to work since this is the end of the fourth day. 

However, Namine hasn't really been staying in bed like the men had practically drilled in her head. Instead, she had made the most of her small vacation to clean her small apartment (without any accidents this time) and take care of her homey duties such as laundry and food shopping. She had also been taking care of her cat, Moogle.

Speaking of the feline, the little fur ball was rubbing against Namine's legs as she was cleaning the high places of the kitchen cabinet. She was almost finished with her cleaning and Tifa and Leon would be coming over today to have a small dinner with her.

"Not now Moogle," Namine told her cat, "You don't want me to fall again like the last time, right?" asked Namine and the cat ceased its cuddling with her legs. Moogle then went over to his newly cleaned cat bed and laid down in it planning to take a catnap as Namine put the finishing touches on her cleaning.

* * *

When the young woman was done, she washed her hands and went to get the meal started. She decided to have some meatloaf with peas and mash potatoes accompanied by biscuits since it was a special occasion. 

As she was setting the table, knocks came at the door followed by the sound of teasing from Tifa and the occasional "Shut up" from Leon. Namine laughed at that as she opened the door and let her two best friends inside.

"Hey there Namine!" Tifa greeted as she hugged the younger woman, "Haven't seen you in a while," she told her. Namine gave her a dry look and replied.

"Hag, you saw me this morning at breakfast, remember?" she told the brunette female. Said female just gave her a playful look and replied.

"Yes, but not being able to tease you 24/7 seems like ages," she told her. Namine gave her a sad smile. Since they don't work with each other anymore, it seemed as if they hardly saw each other besides breakfast, and it scared Namine.

"All right, enough with the sad fest, didn't we come here to eat?" Leon asked as he went into Namine's fridge and drank out of the milk carton like Namine does with the orange juice carton. This time, Namine's eye twitched in irritation.

"I just bought that, dumbass!" she said outraged as she stomped on his head (A/n: you know, like in anime when someone stomps on the other person's head and yells at them). "Do you know how much milk cost me these days? Besides, that milk is for Moogle too, baka!" she shouted and continued to stomp on him repeatedly as Tifa sweatdropped at the scene.

"You do the same thing to my orange juice, you nut!" Leon yelled and trapped the blonde in a headlock. By now, the sweatdrop on Tifa's head doubled in size.

"You don't even drink orange juice, you retard!" Namine retorted causing Leon to tighten his headlock.

"Okay, okay, that's enough you two," Tifa calmed them down, "The food will get cold if you keep this up" she told her two companions, who had decided that food was more important than their quarrel and sat down to eat.

Tifa sighed in relief. Looks like they actually might have a quiet dinner after all…

"By the way, you owe me another milk carton…"

…or not….

* * *

"Ow, I'm gonna feel _that_ tomorrow" Namine said as she rubbed her head from a major noogie attack by her so-called big brother. Leon sat next to her on the couch quietly as he rubbed his throbbing cheek where Namine landed a punch at him. Tifa sat on the floor and chuckled at her two friends. A feeling of nostalgia filled her as she was reminded of the younger days when they were like this. 

However, that smile soon faded as she was reminded of the happy memories at the Seventh Heaven. She shook her head to rid her of these thoughts as she felt for the item needed in her pocket. She turned to the other two and spoke breaking the silence.

"Hey, Namine," she began. Said blonde turned her head to her showing her attention. "I have something for you," Tifa told her. Namine grinned in excitement. Usually Tifa would give her something only on Christmas or her birthday so it must be a special occasion.

"Oooh, a present! All right!" Namine cheered as she pumped a fist in the air and almost hitting Leon in the process. He glared at her in response, but it didn't last long for a smirk of amusement was on his face at the blonde's cheering, who was now jumping up and down in excitement.

Nevertheless, Tifa could only give a sad smile and take out the envelope. Namine stopped her cheering and gazed at it in wonder. To clear things up for the blonde, Tifa spoke.

"It's your last paycheck from the Seventh Heaven," she told the blonde. Namine took it silently and plopped on the couch still staring at the envelope. All traces of cheerfulness were gone from her face as she stared at the envelope in dismay.

"My last paycheck" Namine repeated solemnly. It still hurt to think about not being able to work at the Seventh Heaven anymore. A gloomy silence fell upon the trio. Leon was the first to break the silence.

"But there's good news too" he said. Namine and Tifa looked at him in utter confusion. Leon sighed and bonked Namine on the head. "You get to stay in the apartment dumbass" he told her. Namine was just about to hit him when it finally drawled on her. She grinned and immediately rose up from the couch to do her jumping up and down while cheering again.

"That's right! I paid my rent! Sweet! I get to stay!" Namine cheered. Her cat joined in her cheering by meowing happily, clearly understanding his master's merriment. Namine picked up the cat and said. "Did ya hear that, Moogle oh buddy ol pal? We're staying!" she exclaimed and danced around with the cat in her arms as the others just laughed at her childishness.

* * *

"Bye! See ya for breakfast in the morning! And don't hide the orange juice Squally!" she ended the sentence with a glare directed at Leon who looked at her innocently and whistled some tune as if to say "Would I do that?". 

Tifa and Leon left the blonde to her apartment as she shut the door. Namine gave off a tired sigh and plopped on the couch. However, since Namine had to get up for work tomorrow and stuff, she got up from her spot and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and get ready for bed.

Once she was all done, she was dressed in a big grey t-shirt and dark green shorts that stopped at her knees. She had pulled out the couch bed and turned out the light. As Namine laid in the darkness, she gazed out her glass doors leading to a small balcony that was connected to the fire escape.

Namine sighed as she looked up at the night sky in her small, but homey apartment. The stars twinkled since in the slums there was hardly any electricity. She smiled and got under the covers with Moogle at her feet for a peaceful sleep.

However, Namine Narumi was in for a rude awakening. A _VERY_ rude awakening at that…

* * *

Usually you would expect to find birds chirping outside your window or the sun beating down on your face as you peacefully wake from your slumber… 

…not your sister bawling her eyes out and banging on your front door…

Namine groaned as she got up from her bed and headed towards the door. As she unlocked her door, Namine couldn't help thinking that Kairi could wake not just her neighbors, but the dead as well.

Speaking of the auburn haired woman, there she was looking like a wreck! Her makeup was screwed up, hair was disheveled, clothes were ruffled, and tear stains were all over her cheeks with the added bonus of more tears flowing.

Namine now awake from her morning stupor stared worriedly at her counterpart, but that didn't last long since as soon as Namine opened the door, Kairi hugged her in the biggest hug Namine was ever put in and thereby bringing them both to the floor on their knees. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as she sobbed her heart out on Namine's hardly developed chest.

"Kai, what's wrong?" Namine asked as she stroked her sister's hair. When it didn't concern Namine, Namine knew how to comfort her younger sibling. However, when it is about Namine, she has no idea whatsoever on how to handle the auburn haired woman.

It was usually like this when Kairi was upset, even in their childhood. Usually Kairi cried, never Namine. Namine had never cried in front of Kairi. She had to be strong for Kairi and be the big sister. And that, my readers, is what gave Namine strength to never break down and do her best for Kairi and for Kairi's sake alone.

"Oh Namine, it's terrible!" Kairi sobbed out as she held her older sister. Namine rubbed her back in a soothing manner. "It's Cloud! H-h-h-e _hic _cheated on me! _Hic_" she cried as she gripped on to Namine tighter while Namine looked on confused.

Now this didn't make any sense at all. Cloud was crazy about Kairi! She seen the way he looks at her. It was the look saying he would never look at another woman that way. Cloud would do literary anything for Kairi! That was how he got Namine's approval in the first place. Usually Kairi's boyfriends were scared shitless of the blonde's wrath. If he had to face her wrath just to be with Kairi, then he would do it.

"Kairi, are you sure… you didn't make a mistake?" she asked her twin. Kairi looked at Namine and exclaimed.

"Of course I'm sure! He had been acting very strange lately and he went out a lot for the past few days. So when I followed him, I saw him with another girl and she was _hugging _him!" she cried. Namine seemed skeptical as she raised one of her eyebrows and looked at her sister.

"Maybe she was a friend or something," she suggested. Kairi just shook her head refusing to believe her.

"If she was a friend, he wouldn't be so secretive, and besides, aren't you suppose to go and kill him instead of giving him the benefit of the doubt like you usually do?" she asked teary eyed. Namine's eye twitched. _NOW_ she wants Namine to just hit a person without giving them the benefit of the doubt like Kairi always told her…

Namine sighed and ran a hand through her shoulder length hair. Well, it looks as if she would be spending her day with Kairi. She detached herself from the auburn haired woman and headed towards the phone. She dialed the number silently as she heard Kairi sob, who was currently hugging her cat for comfort. There were three rings before she heard another voice on the line.

"_Hello?"_ it was Riku who answered.

"Hey, it's Namine. Listen, I'm gonna have to take another day off today" she told him while running her free hand through her hair. She could tell Riku wasn't happy with the request.

"_What reason?"_ he asked. Namine didn't answer him, but she took the phone away from her ear and pointed it toward Kairi's hysteric sobbing. She waited five seconds then placed the phone to her ear again.

"That's why" she replied. Riku sighed on the other end and seemed to have gotten the drift that Namine was to play the comforting rule in this.

"_Fine, but when you get back, you have to do a favor for us tomorrow" _he told her. Namine raised an eyebrow and wore a confused expression.

"What kind of favor?" she asked. She could practically see the smirk he was wearing on the other end.

"_You'll find out tomorrow" _he told her and hung up leaving Namine with a bad feeling.

* * *

Having decided that glaring at the phone wouldn't cause her bosses' deaths, she placed it on the receiver and walked over to Kairi. She tugged on Kairi's free arm causing Kairi to look at Namine in confusion. Namine just grinned and pulled her up. 

"C'mon, get ready." She told her. Kairi was utterly lost.

"Ready for what?" she sniffled. Namine sighed and ruffled Kairi's hair like a mother would a child even through Kairi was taller than her.

"I'm taking you out today, of course!" Namine exclaimed happily. She began pushing Kairi to the bathroom and continued, "After all, you can't look like that! Today is your day!" Namine said encouragingly. She tossed some clothes that Tifa gave her for Christmas, but were too big for her to wear so she didn't wear them. That, and the fact that those clothes are the type of clothes Namine usually doesn't wear.

A few minutes later, Kairi came out looking stunningly as she usually does while wearing a knee length dark pink skirt and a light pink blouse. (A/n: can you guess why Namine doesn't like those clothes on herself? If you get it, get yourself a cookie, okay?).

As for Namine, she wore the usual baggy jeans that were a navy color this time and a white baggy t-shirt. Her trademark blue plaid madras was present as well as her glasses.

"Namine, these clothes look like you never wore them," Kairi stated as she stared at the outfit, which she rather liked. Namine looked at her nonchalantly as she did her hair in the usual ponytail and slipped on her sneakers.

"That's because I didn't. Seriously Kairi, you know how I can't stand wearing skirts _or _the color pink" Namine told her. (A/n: if you guessed that, then stop reading for a second and get yourself a nice big cookie)

"But, Tifa nee-chan gave you these" Kairi told her. She knew Namine never treated gifts like that, _especially_ Tifa's gifts.

"Yeah, as a practical joke! The Old Hag really needs to spend more time on giving me nieces and nephews instead of teasing and/or babying me" Namine said as she crossed her arms as Kairi sweatdropped.

"Um… yeah…" Kairi replied as she laughed nervously. Kairi also slipped on her shoes and followed Namine out the door. Before Namine shut it, she turned to look at her cat sternly.

"No house parties while I'm gone" she told him. Moogle meowed a whine as she shut the door and locked it behind her.

* * *

It was about 9:27 in the morning when they reached the destination of the middle district. The people who lived here were the not too rich not too poor class. To put it simply, they were the middle class. 

"So, where are we going?" Kairi asked as she walked behind the shorter woman. Namine just grinned back at her and said.

"You'll see" she replied. She then abruptly stopped causing Kairi to bump into her. She looked at the blonde in curiosity.

"What's wrong?" she asked. What Namine did next really surprised her.

Namine stood beside her and held out her hand.

"Onee-chan doesn't want to lose you so hold her hand okay?" she asked. Kairi flushed embarrassed and slapped the hand away gently.

"Namine, I'm not a little kid anymore," she told her older sibling. Namine just shrugged and walked beside her twin in silence.

However, a few minutes later, their hands were joined together.

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(April 14, 1991)

"_What's wrong Na-na?" asked five-year-old Kairi Narumi as she and her twin were walking on the sidewalk. Namine had errands to run and Kairi wanted to join her since she hated being away from her sister. _

_Namine just held out her hand to the other girl with a grin. _

"_Onee-chan doesn't want to lost you so hold her hand okay?" she asked. _

"_Okay," Kairi chirped and immediately grabbed Namine's hand with a big smile. "Would Na-na be sad if Kai-kai got lost?" asked Kairi as she gripped Namine's hand tighter. _

"_Mm-hmm, Na-na would be very sad if she lost Kai-kai" Namine replied nodding. The two continued on their way to their destination never getting tired of their joined hands. _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback _(October 30, 2007)

Nobody paid the twins heed as they had their own business to attend to. None of them spoke a word for they were too busy being drowned in the nostalgia of the situation.

"Here we are!" Namine said finally. They stood in front of Nifty-Fifties. Kairi's eyes widened as her mouth watered. She _loved _Nifty-Fifties! As if agreeing with her, Kairi's stomach began growling for the tasty food (A/n: I haven't been to Nifty-Fifties in years, but I always loved their breakfast food).

Namine grinned at her sister's expression. It was priceless! She desperately wished she had a camera! She pulled Kairi out of her dazed state and yanked her inside like an excited child would do to their mom when they saw a toy store.

"I haven't been to one of these in years," Kairi said once they were seated. As she gazed around the restaurant, Namine was looking at the menu.

"Yup, since we didn't have breakfast, I decided to take you to your favorite, and mine, restaurant!" Namine told her happily. Hmm, the pancakes looked _sssssooooooooo_ good.

"Hi, I'm- Namine?" asked a perplexed Fuu. She was holding a notepad and was wearing the Nifty-Fifties uniform.

"Hey Fuu, what's up?" asked Namine as she placed her hand under her chin and her elbow was on the table. "I thought you worked for that perverted bastard at that café" she said. Fuu just grinned and replied.

"I quit. That old fart started hitting on me so I high tailed it outta there. I also got this awesome job here," she explained to her friend.

"That's good," Namine said. As for Kairi, she looked utterly confused at this point.

"Um…" was all she could say. Namine seemed to have noticed her and decided to clear things up.

"Fuu, this is Kairi, my younger twin," Namine said as she gestured to Kairi. "Kairi, this is Fuu, a childhood friend. She used to live with us in the slums before her and her brother moved here," she explained.

"Then how come I never met her?" asked Kairi in curiosity.

"Well, you were either napping or playing with the Old Hag usually" Namine said as she rubbed her chin in thought. Since Kairi wasn't really trusted by herself because she wasn't as smart as Namine, Tifa took care of her in the apartment while Namine hung out with Fuu on the stoop.

"Oh, that would explain it" Kairi said.

"So, what can I get you, Kairi? - Namine, I already know what you want just by looking at your mouth water at the pancakes" Fuu told Namine as said blonde was about to whine about Fuu ignoring her. Namine pouted as Kairi smiled at her sister. Namine could be so adorable!

"Hmm, I'm going to have pancakes too, please" Kairi said politely while Namine grumbled something about "cruel Fuu" and "joining up with God" and "bet she's the one telling him on how to torture me". Kairi had a feeling that whatever Namine was peeved about it was best left unsaid.

* * *

When their food arrived- Kairi got her plate first which caused Namine to weep in her corner of woe because Fuu was teasing her with the pancakes- Namine began to scarf down her meal while Kairi ate with table manners as she sweatdropped at her sister's way of eating. She swore that one day Namine was going to swallow the fork along with her meal. 

"This is really good" Kairi commented as Namine nodded in agreement. She swallowed her food and said to Kairi.

"Well, it _has _been years since we've been here" Namine told her twin. Kairi nodded and smiled sadly.

"When _was _the last time we came here?" she asked the blonde. Namine thought for a moment before replying.

"It was before you left for college I think, which was about three years ago" Namine replied not knowing that Kairi winced a little. "I remember bringing you here on my latest pay check and treating you to a breakfast-dinner and ice cream because it would be the last meal we shared together for a while," Namine explained. Kairi nodded and smiled at the memory. She remembered when Namine suddenly burst into their room they shared in their old apartment with their dad and dragged Kairi all the way to Nifty-Fifties.

"_Onee-chan's treating you tonight!" _Namine had told her. To this day, it was still a precious memory in Kairi's heart. All the memories they shared were precious to her, as she knew they were to Namine.

"But you know," Namine started causing Kairi to look at her. "I liked our first time here more than our last" Namine grinned as she remembered the first time they set foot in the Nifty-Fifties.

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(April 14, 1991)

_Namine and Kairi had just finished their errands and were resting on a bench with their three bags. Both were tired from walking and were kind of hungry since it was almost lunchtime. _

"_Na-na, I'm hungry," Kairi complained. Namine just looked around for something until she spotted a restaurant across the street. She picked up the bags and took Kairi's hand as they went across the street. _

_When they stepped inside, they were greeted with the delicious aroma of maple syrup. Their mouths watered as they thought of the tasty foods. A lady approached them and asked kindly. _

"_Hi, can I help you?" she asked as she kneeled down on the floor to be at the same height as them. Namine being the smarter one of them, answered. _

"_Well, I don't know if we have enough for a table, but is it possible to get something then get out?" Namine asked as she fidgeted nervously and shuffled her feet. The lady smiled kindly at them and replied. _

"_Maybe, but maybe you can eat with me since I'm on my lunch break," she told them. They gave her a grateful smile and they all sat down behind the counter where the employees ate their lunch. A man in his late thirties approached them. He had blonde hair with a mustache and beard. He smiled kindly at the two._

"_Well, who are you two?' he asked. Namine was the one who answered since Kairi was looking at the chefs who were making all the food. _

"_I'm Namine, she's my twin Kairi" Namine said as she pointed to the mouth watering Kairi. Kairi began tugging on Namine's shirt. _

"_Na-na, Kai-kai want ice cream" she told Namine in her baby voice. Namine patted her head and nodded. She turned to the two adults who were looking at them. _

"_Is it possible to have an ice cream cone for Kairi?" asked Namine. The man smiled and replied. _

"_Of course, what flavor would you like Kairi?" asked the man. Kairi grinned and replied. _

"_Straw" she replied, which meant strawberry, Namine told them. The man smile kindly and went to get the cone while the waitress asked Kairi. _

"_You like 'Straw'?" she asked. Kairi nodded and said. _

"_Straw is sweet like Na-na," she said as she pointed to Namine who blushed in embarrassment. _

"_C'mon Kairi, I'm not like Strawberry" she told her twin, who just shook her head and repeated. _

"_Na-na is sweet like straw," Kairi repeated causing Namine to hang her head and shake it. The waitress giggled at the two of them. _

"_You sure have a bigger vocabulary than your sister," the waitress told Namine. Namine nodded and replied. _

"_We don't know why, but for some reason I'm slightly smarter than the average child. That's okay though because then I can take care of my family" she told the waitress. The woman smiled and asked. _

"_So you like to be the big girl?" she asked. _

"_I have to be, for Kairi and for my pops," she told the woman. The woman gave her a sad look and patted her shoulder. _

"_You're a really strong girl, Namine" she told the five-year-old. "Your parents must be so proud of you," the waitress told her. However, Namine just flinched and gave off a bitter smile. _

"_Yeah, Pops is proud" she told the waitress, who looked at her confused. _

"_What about your-" _

"_Straw!" Kairi exclaimed as the cone was given to her. Kairi licked it happily. _

"_How is it?" Namine asked. Kairi stopped her licking to look at her counterpart. _

"_Sweet" she replied. She then edged the cone to Namine. "Sweet like Na-na" she said. Namine seemed to have gotten the drift of what her twin wanted and licked the cone. _

"_Yup, it's very sweet. Almost as sweet as Kai-kai" she told her twin. _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback _(October 30, 2007)

That was the first day they went here. They soon found out that the woman and man were Areith and Diz. They always came here to spend time with the two adults but after a month, both of them disappeared and the new manager who replaced Diz wouldn't let them in because they didn't have money.

Once the two were done their meal, Namine paid the bill. Kairi was about to protest knowing full well that her sister had less money than her, but Namine had said.

"This is from my last paycheck from the Seventh Heaven. I already bought the essentials that I need at home and besides, this is your day remember?" Namine asked grinning. Kairi sighed in defeat and let Namine handle the bill.

* * *

For the next few hours, Namine and Kairi have had nothing but fun. They went to all different places of the middle district and explored many interesting places like the museum and the theater. They also saw an on the streets magic show and walked through the park. 

As Namine and Kairi continued walking debating about Namine's cat ruling the world one day, Namine stopped abruptly, and since she was holding Kairi's hand, Kairi stopped with her. Kairi followed her sister's gaze and saw that she was looking at a café, well more like glaring at it.

"Don't ever go in there," Namine told her seriously. "There's a big pervert just waiting inside" she told her sister. Then something else caught her eye and she began examining the shop window next to it, letting go of Kairi's hand in the process. However, Kairi did not follow her twin for she was too busy staring through the window at something, or rather, _someone_.

There Cloud was sitting with a shorthaired black haired woman only a couple years older than them. Her eyes shined with playfulness as she talked animatedly with the blonde spiky haired man. Kairi couldn't take it anymore and ran away with tears running sown her face.

"Hey Kairi, I think we should be heading back, it's almost dinner… time" Namine finished the last part of her sentence slowly as she looked around to find Kairi absent. "What the?" Namine asked herself. Her gaze went to the café window and her eyes widened in realization and in understanding.

"That's…"

However, Namine had no time to dwell on what she knew, she had to find Kairi and set her straight. With that only thought in her mind, she ran as fast as her feet could carry her.

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(April 14, 1991)

_Kairi and Namine were heading home on the sidewalk. However, it was difficult to walk since there were so many people around. They walked past a jewelry store and Namine didn't notice that Kairi had stopped and was gazing at the shiny items in wonder for she was too busy trying to get through the crowd with three bags filled with items to notice that her most important item was not with her. _

_

* * *

_

_By the time Kairi realized her sister was gone, Namine had already disappeared. _

"_Na-na" she called out worriedly. Where was her Na-na? Where did her Na-na go? She then went in search for her Na-na. _

* * *

"_Okay Kairi, we made it," Namine said as she finally got out of the crowd. She was surprised when no one answered her and looked around. "Kairi?" _

_Only silence greeted her… _

"_Kairi?" she called out desperately. _

_Her heart pounded as her feet broke into a run. Where was Kairi? Where did Kairi go? Namine continued to run as she felt the dripping of rain on her nose. The rain didn't slow her down, it only made her go faster._

_Faster. That's all she thought in her head as the little blonde haired girl ran in the pouring rain panting like a hound dog. Her legs screamed for her to stop, but she ignored them and urged herself to go faster. _

_She had to find her. She just _had _to find her… _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback _(October 30, 2007)

Faster. That's all the blonde woman thought in her head. She had to go faster! She had to go faster so she could find Kairi.

She _had _to find Kairi! She just _had _to!

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(April 14, 1991)

_Five-year-old Kairi Narumi sat on the swings crying. She couldn't find her Na-na. Where was her Na-na? Was Na-na even looking for her? As Kairi wept harder in the pouring rain, the words her Na-na told her repeated in her head. _

"Mm-hmm, Na-na would be very sad if she lost Kai-kai"

_This caused Kairi to calm down a little. Her Na-na would find her! But why wasn't she here yet? What was taking her so long? _

_Suddenly lightening flashed across the sky causing Kairi to cry out. She sobbed as she sat on the swing, gripping the chains so tight that her knuckles turned white. _

"_Kairi!" someone yelled. _

_Kairi looked up, and there she was. Her Na-na was running straight towards her. She noticed her Na-na had dropped the bags, but her Na-na didn't seem to care about that. _

"_Na-na!" Kairi cried out happily. When Namine reached Kairi, she hugged her so tight, Kairi thought she would be crushed. Then Kairi heard something along the lines of sniffles and her Na-na's shoulders were shaking. What was wrong with her Na-na? _

"_Don't ever do that again!" Namine shouted not looking at her. "Don't' ever let go of Onee-chan's hand again! That's the rule okay? You can't let go of Onee-chan's hand ever again!" Namine yelled still embracing Kairi, afraid that if she let go, Kairi would disappear. _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback _(October 30, 2007)

Kairi sat on the swing of the park as tears ran down her face. No one else was there due to the fact that it was dinner time. Her shoulders shook harder as she continued to cry. What did she do wrong? Was she not good enough for Cloud?

As Kairi thinks these thoughts, she feels rain drops on her shoulders and head. She looked up at the sky with a tear stained face and gave a bitter smile.

_It seems even God has pity on me, _she thought. The rain poured harder until it became a downpour, but Kairi made no move to get up from the swing. She just sat there crying.

"Kairi!" someone shouted.

Kairi's head snapped up to see Namine running straight towards her. However, since Namine is the klutz of all klutzes, she tripped and her face landed in the mud causing Kairi to sweatdrop. When did her twin become so clumsy?

When Namine got up, she didn't bother getting the mud off, she just ran to Kairi and embraced her. Namine's shoulders were shaking uncontrollably as she spoke.

"Didn't I tell you not to break the rule? Didn't I tell you Onee-chan would be very sad if she lost you?" Namine asked. Kairi felt something wet, but warm slide down her neck. It was then she realized with shock that it wasn't rain…

…it was tears…

Namine was crying. This was the first time Namine had cried in front of Kairi. Kairi's eyes widened in realization. No, this wasn't the first time at all…

…it was the second…

* * *

After Namine found Kairi, she had brought Kairi to the café where Cloud and the woman were at. It turns out however… 

"Why didn't you tell me about your childhood friend, Yuffie, and her crush on your other friend Vincent?" Kairi demanded. Cloud laughed nervously and replied.

"No offense Kairi, but you kind of go overboard when it comes to matchmaking and stuff" Cloud told her. Kairi playfully shoved him and retorted.

"I do not! So anyway Yuffie, I got this great idea for you and Vincent…" Kairi began explaining her good ideas to Yuffie as Cloud and Namine sweatdropped as they watched.

"You realize that you shouldn't keep things from her anymore, right?" asked Namine.

"Yeah, sorry about putting you into this mess" Cloud apologized. Namine just waved him off and replied.

"Hey I'd do anything for my sis," she told him grinning, but it soon turned into a frown as she realized something. "However, thanks to your secrecy, I have to now do a favor for my bosses without complaint" she said irritated. Cloud patted her shoulder in sympathy.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Cloud told her.

However, due to the apparent insanity her bosses possess, she doubted she would be fine…

**

* * *

**

**Karin-chin: Yay! All done! That was a chapter on Kairi and Namine's relationship. I've been dying to write this chapter and now I'm finally finished! I'm so glad! Now I can enjoy the rest of my birthday with the satisfaction that the readers get their new chapter!**

**Demyx: You seem really happy about that**

**Sora: Since we're all done, can we go have cake?**

**Karin-chin: Sure, why not? **

**Roxas, Riku, and Axel: Sweet!**

**_(Karin-chin and friends go for cake and leave you to read the preview) _bye-bye!**

**Chapter eight- preview: **

"_Come on out, Nami-chan" Demyx urged happily, as he waited excitedly for Namine to come out from the other side of the door along with the other four males. _

"_No, I look ridiculous!" she shouted on the other side. Roxas snorted and said. _

"_Big deal, you always look ridiculous, why should this time be any different?" he asked. He could practically see the blonde's eye twitching as she imagined horrible deaths for him. _

**Karin-chin: well, that's it for now. See ya folks! I hope you like this chapter!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!! Again, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you! **


	8. Namine Narumi: The Trick or Treater

**Karin-chin: Have you learned your lesson? **

**Roxas: … Yes… **

**Karin-chin: Good! You have completed the first step in your rehabilitation **

**Roxas: Rehabilitation? For what? **

**Karin-chin: Admitting that I'm **_**way**_** better than you, of course! **

**Roxas: That's a big fat lie! **

**Karin-chin: Oh yeah, well… just leave me alone! **_**(Goes to cry in a corner) **_

**Axel and Riku: Way to go Roxas**

**Sora: There, there Author-chan, he didn't mean it**

**Demyx: Yeah, it's not your fault he's insensitive**

**Roxas: Hey! I'm right here ya know! **

**Karin-chin: Yeah, I guess you're right. I forgive you Roxas! **_**(Gives Roxas a bone crushing hug) **_**Thanks to **_**chainxofxmemories, X – The Random Vampire – X **_**(Thanks for wishing me a happy birthday!), **_**cHeRrYbLOssOm07, **_**and **_**xxjust-a-nobodyxx **_**for reviewing the last chapter! **

**Roxas: Can't… breathe! **

**Karin-chin: **_**(lets him go) **_**sorry. Hey, I have an idea, let's have all the readers give Roxas a hug! **

_**(Readers give Roxas a huge hug) **_

**Roxas: Ow… **

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Kingdom Hearts

**

* * *

**

**Recap: **

"_Hey I'd do anything for my sis," she told him grinning, but it soon turned into a frown as she realized something. "However, thanks to your secrecy, I have to now do a favor for my bosses without complaint" she said irritated. Cloud patted her shoulder in sympathy. _

"_I'm sure you'll be fine," Cloud told her. _

_However, due to the apparent insanity her bosses possess, she doubted she would be fine…_

**End of Recap: **

**

* * *

**

**Namine Narumi- The Trick-or-Treater**

When Namine arrived to the mansion, she was expecting to have to clean the whole thing or cook a big dinner for the favor.

However, she was _NOT _expecting to do this…

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(This morning)

_As usual, Namine Narumi was late. It didn't really surprise the men that their blonde house cleaner was late since she had the tendency to ignore the wake up calls. However, they were extra anxious for the blonde to get here. _

_Speaking of the little vixen herself…_

BAM!!!

…_Looks like she just arrived… _

"_Dammit! You _huff _guys _huff _need _huff _to live _huff _closer!" Namine gasped out as she was panting on the marble floor. _

"_It isn't our fault that you sleep in" Riku stated as he read the morning paper. Namine turned to glare at the silver haired man. _

"_Well, it isn't my fault that _you _keep calling me at four in the morning!" Namine retorted. _

"_It's the only way you can get here earlier without having to sprit" Riku replied calmly as he turned a page. Namine growled and stood up with her fists clenched. _

"_Well, _excuse_ me! I don't see any reason for me to be here earlier than nine o'clock in the morning!" she shouted. Roxas snorted and stated. _

"_You have to cook breakfast dimwit," he stated and flicked a fruity pebble at her forehead. Said target was hit with said cereal and she glared at the male ready to lash out at him about any second. Actually, she _was _just about to when Axel caught her and threw her over his shoulder like a potato sack. _

"_Hold it there little vixen, you have a deal to fulfill, remember?" he asked as she was struggling to get him to put her down. _

"_NO!" she screeched as she struggled harder. Riku finally placed down his paper and looked at her smirking. _

"_I seem to recall you do," he told her causing her to cease her struggles and listen, "Remember on the phone yesterday you said that you had to take the day off and you promised to do one favor for us no matter what it was? Now you have to pay up Namine" he told her. _

"_b-b-but…" she began protesting, but Roxas interrupted her. _

"_Sorry, a deal's a deal" he said with a smirk. Namine felt her heart beat faster in suspense and fear of what they would do to her. She didn't want to die yet, dammit! _

"_All right, I guess I'll go help her get ready" Axel said as he began walking out the door with a paralyzed Namine on his shoulder. Demyx bounced after him. _

"_This is going to be great Nami-chan! You're going to be so cute!" he exclaimed. This got Namine out of her stupor and she began panicking. _

"_Would do you mean by that?! What the hell is going on!? NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she shouted as they left the dinning room. _

_

* * *

_

_When they reached their destination, Axel plopped Namine on the floor not so gently and she landed on her bum. _

"_Ow…" she hissed out as she rubbed the place of impact. That was going leave a mark! _

_As Namine began a colorful line of words that should not be said, a pile of clothes was thrown at her. _

"_WAH!" she exclaimed as she fell on the floor. "What was that for?!" she shouted at the red haired man. He simply gave her a smirk and said. _

"_This is part of the favor," he told her, "You have to wear this for the whole day," he told her. _

"_So, all I gotta do is wear this?" Namine asked. That couldn't be so bad, right? Axel just patted her on the head and grinned. _

"_You'll see," he told her. Somehow, that didn't make Namine feel any better. _

"_All right" she said in defeat. She stared at the two men for a couple of seconds before asking, "So, where do I change?" she asked. _

"_You mean you're not changing here?" Axel asked. _

"_We don't mind if Nami-chan changes in here" Demyx chimed in. Namine whacked both of the males on the head with her fist. An anger mark was present on her temple and her eye was twitching. _

"_Nice try perverts, but I'm not changing in here," she told them. Axel sighed and rubbed his head where she conked him. Man, she could pack a punch…_

"_Yeah, yeah, sorry. Here," he showed her to a room where she could change. Before she shut the door, however, she turned to glare at the two males. _

"_If one of you even so tries to get a peek, I'll make sure you become female" she told them with a threatening aura. They shivered at her deathly aura and nodded meekly. _

_When she shut the door, the two men heard a click meaning she locked the offending thing. _

_Great, now they really won't be able to get a peek… _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback _(Present time)

So now here Namine was changing into whatever they wanted her to wear. As she struggled with the offending thing, she looked around the room. Classy, big, expensive, just like the rest of the mansion.

"Bunch of Rich bastards…"

* * *

It was a few minutes later and all the men decided to sit on the couch outside of the room Namine was changing in. They wondered if she was being killed by the outfit or something. 

"Hopefully, she didn't trip and hit her head" Roxas said as he propped his elbow on the couch and leaned on the palm of his hand in boredom.

"I'm sure Namine isn't _that _clumsy, Roxas" Sora assured. Roxas gave him a dry look and stated.

"_Please, _if there is a way to choke on a single piece of rice, she'd find it" he told the brunette. The other men nodded in agreement.

Sora, getting slightly worried that Roxas might be right, went to knock on the door.

"Namine, are you alright in there?" he asked. A crash answered him followed by a string of curses.

"Yeah, just _peachy_" she drawled out the last word. They could hear her saying something about "Damn floor" and "Damn outfit" and finally "Damn bastards who think they're better than everyone else".

It seems Namine is on a cursing streak…

* * *

"You done yet?" Roxas shouted in irritation as he banged on the door. It's been an hour later and Namine still hasn't come out. The outfit wasn't _that _difficult, was it? 

"Shut up! I'm not coming out!" was their reply.

"Come on out, Nami-chan" Demyx urged happily, as he waited excitedly for Namine to come out from the other side of the door along with the other four males.

"No, I look ridiculous!" she shouted on the other side. Roxas snorted and said.

"Big deal, you always look ridiculous, why should this time be any different?" he asked. He could practically see the blonde's eye twitching as she imagined horrible deaths for him.

"Besides, this is part of the favor, you can't complain" Riku told her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Namine on the other side of the door was muttering curses to no end as she gazed at herself in the mirror. She looked utterly ridiculous! When she got her hands on those five, she was gonna… 

"Might as well get this day over with," she grumbled out as she unlocked the door. However, on the other side of the door wasn't the five men she had added to the top of her hit list…

…it was pitched back…

Now this was strange, wasn't the lights on a second ago? And where were those five anyway? Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought all of this and tried to think of logical conclusions.

Suddenly, Namine felt a creepy chill go down and up her spine. Was something coming? Namine had a bad feeling about this.

"_Namine…_" a voice drawled out behind her.

…make that a _very _bad feeling…

"Eeep!" Namine squeaked as she turned around to find no one there. She shuddered as the temperature got lower. So low, she could see her own breath breathing out in a rapid pace.

_It's okay, it's okay, _she kept telling herself in her head. Suddenly, some sparks popped and cracked out of nowhere.

"EEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!" Namine cried out as she began sprinting for the nearest exit. Doors were opening and closing all around her and the lights flickered on and off really fast as she ran faster.

"_Namine…" _the voice drawled out again. Namine felt her heart jump all the way to her throat as she pushed herself to run faster.

However, due to the fact that Namine is the biggest klutz in history, she tripped down the stairs again…

_BAM!!! _

Namine landed face flat on the marble tiled floor. She prayed that whatever it was haunting her did not see her underwear since she felt her skirt fly up during the fall.

As she picked herself off the floor, everything went pitch black again and all was silent. That was until she heard… breathing…

"_Namine…" _her name was called. Namine gulped and looked frantically around. What she wouldn't give to have those bastards around. Sure, they were a pain, but they were better than this mysterious force haunting her for the rest of her life!

"_Namine…" _she heard the voice get closer. Hmm, maybe she can feed the bastards to the mysterious force and it would go away. That would kill two birds with one stone, hehe!

She shrunk in fear for what was to come. Her heart pounded. Her breath was ragged. She didn't know where the enemy was. She both anticipated and dreaded the mysterious force (even in times like these, she's still an occult manic and loves this type of stuff). The suspense was really killing her here!

"NAMINE!!" a voice shouted as light was shined on to their face showing a white hockey mask.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Namine screamed and punched the guy straight in the face sending him flying. The light from the flashlight immediately went out since it dropped on the floor leaving Namine in total darkness again.

Suddenly she felt something hug her waist from behind and she froze.

"_Namine…" _the voice whispered in her ear. Namine shut her eyes tight and waited for the worst.

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN NAMINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" four voices shouted as the lights turned on and orange and black streamers popped out of nowhere. Namine turned around to see her four out of five bosses standing behind her. Demyx and Sora were grinning happily while Roxas and Riku had a big smirk as if to say, "We got you!"

Upon closer notice, Namine realized that it was Sora, who was still grinning, was the one who was hugging her from behind. She stared at them and realized that they also were wearing costumes.

Riku was dressed up in a torn up blue green shirt with an old brown jacket over it. His pants were a dark brown and had an old dead look to them completed with black shoes. She also noticed that he was wearing to little bolts, one on each side of his neck, to show that he was dressing up as Franken Stein.

Roxas was dressed in black baggy pants that were slightly torn and a black t-shirt with a white cross on the front of the whole front of the shirt. The top point stopped at the collar and the bottom stopped at the end of the front of his shirt. The horizontal stripe of the cross went all around his torso. He also wore a black trench coat (A/n: think of the organization's black coat) and black gloves. On his feet were black combat boots. Namine guessed he was a vampire since she saw one of his fangs peeking out as he smirked at her.

Demyx was, well, let's just say that the only thing keeping Namine from hugging the living daylights out of him is Sora holding on to her still. Demyx was dressed in a big furry cat suit. He had three whiskers on each side of his face drawn there by a black marker. His whole suit was black and accompanied by big cute furry paws and big cute ears on top of the hood of the suit. Can you say absolutely adorable!

Finally, Sora was wearing Namine would guess would be Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean. However, he did not have the wig or beard, but the costume looked very realistic and well done. It looked exactly like Captain Jack Sparrow's attire. He even got the hat! Namine was really tempted to say "Can I join your crew?". If you must know readers, Namine has seen The Pirates of the Caribbean six times with her sister Kairi because no one else would take the blonde to the movies. That's how much she loved the movie.

"What's going on here?" she demanded.

"Just getting into the Halloween spirit," Riku told her. Namine felt her eye twitch as she tried with all her might not to kill the males.

"And why, might I ask, you scared the crap outta me?" she asked. Roxas flicked her forehead.

"Don't glare at us moron, it was all Sora's idea. He organized everything," Roxas said as he jabbed his thumb in Sora's direction. "He's the occult manic, which is why he can do a creepy voice," he told her.

"I thought it would be fun to start Halloween with a bang," Sora said grinning. However, his grin soon disappeared when he noticed Namine's head down. Oh no, she was going to cry!

"I'm sorry Namine! I didn't think it would scare you that bad!" Sora began apologizing to her. He didn't mean to make her upset. That was the last thing Sora wanted to do.

"That…" Namine whispered still with her head down. The other four listened to what she was going to say.

"That was…" she repeated. Sora shut his eyes waiting for her to yell at him.

"SO COOL!!!!!!!!!" Namine exclaimed now looking at them in admiration.

"Huh?" they all stared at her in confusion. Namine grinned and went all starry eyed.

"I can't believe it! The effects! The sounds! The lights! I was scared out of my wits! That was so amazing!" she exclaimed. They were utterly shocked, especially when Namine hugged Sora happily.

"That was so cool Sora! You really have a talent!" she praised. Sora just blushed as he felt three auras of jealousy coming from his companions. Namine let go and grinned up at them all.

"Well, I can honestly say that you guys got me good! I never expected it!" she told them. They all sweatdropped as she praised them.

"Looks like we found you an occult manic Sora" Riku said as Namine went on and on about the experience to a bouncing Demyx and a smug Roxas.

"Hey, where's Axel?" asked Namine noticing that the red haired male wasn't present. A moan of pain answered her. All five occupants of the room turned to find Axel on the floor face flat. It looked as if he was thrown into the wall and slid down to the floor.

"I think you knocked him out cold," Riku said to Namine. Namine put two and two together and asked.

"So _he _was the guy in the hockey mask," she exclaimed. Everyone else sweatdropped as they looked at their fallen friend. They were sure glad it wasn't them who had been punched. She sent him flying!

"Yeah, he's supposed to be a serial killer" Roxas said as he nudged his friend's head with his foot. Namine nodded in understanding.

"Well, he sure got me convinced," Namine gave off an embarrassed laugh as she placed a hand behind her head.

"Oh, Nami-chan! You look so cute!" Demyx exclaimed finally noticing what she was wearing. The others also looked at her in shock.

Cute wouldn't even describe her. Namine was dressed as a lolita witch apparently. Her dress stopped at mid thigh having the hem look to be in shreds. The collar was a modest v-neck so it was nothing revealing, but it didn't stop them from looking. The collar also had a hood in the back. The sleeves stopped at her knuckles with the edges in shreds the same style as the hem of the dress. On her hands were black fingerless gloves that stopped up to her wrists. On her neck was a black choker with a little black bat charm hanging on it. On her left leg, her black stocking stopped two inches above her knee and her black stocking on her right leg stopped just below her knee. On her feet were black combat boots and on her waist was a black sash tied loosely around it. Finally, she had a black witch hat on top of her head.

"Yeah right, I look like a dork" she replied as she adjusted the hat. They simply just stared at her with their mouths agape. She does not look remotely anything near a dork! She was fricken adorable! And the fact that she was so small gave it an even more adorable effect!

"Anyway, why are we dressing up for Halloween? You guys having a party?' she asked. They grinned at her and shook their heads.

"Nope! We're doing something better!" Sora told her. Demyx nodded vigorously and said.

"We're Trick-or-treating!" he said with a big smile. There was a few moments of silence before…

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Namine burst out laughing and was currently rolling around on the marble floor.

"What's so funny?" asked Riku. Truth be told, he already knew what she was going to say, and he doesn't blame her for laughing. He laughed too when the others brought up the idea.

"It's just," Namine paused to chuckle, "You guys are in your twenties and you _still _go trick-or-treating? No offense, but you act as though you never went before" she said not noticing that her companions flinched when she said that. "However, since I absolutely love trick-or-treating, what the hell? I'll do it!" Namine exclaimed.

* * *

For the rest of the day, the six (Axel had woken up an hour later) had been decorating the house to pass the time. Mostly Namine did the work and they just supervised, but they still helped her. However, Namine did the stuff in the high places not knowing that the men had been looking up her dress or gazing at her legs from time to time. 

Namine also made Halloween cookies. Well, more like she made the dough and they all started a cookie dough war, but she managed to make about four dozen cookies shaped liked bats or pumpkins.

* * *

Finally, it was late enough, but still early, for them to go trick-or-treating. However, Namine wasn't very comfortable with trick-or-treating in Uptown. 

"Don't worry, your clothes won't give you away this time" Axel told her. She nodded and walked along with them.

Axel wore the same hockey mask from earlier with a black sleeveless shirt with a skull on it. He also wore baggy brown pants with many chains on them and brown combat boots. Lastly, he wore black gloves stopping at his wrists on his hands.

"Which house are we going to first?" asked Roxas. Demyx pointed to a pearl white mansion to their right across the street.

"That one!" he exclaimed. They all sped towards the said mansion, not noticing that Namine was lagging behind. Since the men were faster than her and she didn't want to run because she was wearing a short dress and didn't want it flying up, she had to walk. She cursed her bosses for making her wear something so short!

* * *

"Aren't you a little old to be trick-or-treating?" asked a man in his late fifties. He seemed like he didn't want to be here doing this. 

"Aren't you a little old to be making comments?" Roxas retorted. They held out their bags and the man filled them grumpily muttering about how the big kids always steal candy from the little trick-or-treaters. The five men left not knowing that as soon as they left the doorstep, Namine approached it. She gave him a big smile and greeted him.

"Hi, trick-or-treat!" she said happily. Since Namine is so small at the height of 4'8 (4 feet, 8 inches), she could be mistaken for a young trick-or-treater. The man gave her a kind smile and filled her bag.

"Are you all alone young lady?" he asked. Namine shook her head and replied.

"Nope, I'm here with my friends, they just came here a second ago" she told him smiling, but inside her head, she was shocked at her reply. Did she really think of them as her friends?

"Hmph! So irresponsible, leaving a little girl by herself so they can have fun. Your older brother is the blonde right?" he asked. Namine didn't know whether to correct him or laugh out loud that this man thought Roxas was her older brother.

"Yup! He can be such a sour puss," she said playing along. Might as well have a little fun right? "Anyway, see ya Mister! And thank you for the candy!" she shouted as she left. Namine spotted her companions two mansions away. She quickly went to the mansion next to the old man's and collected her candy, then went over to the five males who she could see were currently being cooed on by an older woman saying how cute they looked.

* * *

"Here you go!" the woman in her thirties gave them. "You all look so cute!" she said. The five men just sweatdropped and laughed nervously. 

"Thanks" Riku said politely. You never know if one day they might be a client that will aid your company, right?

* * *

Damn. She missed them again. Namine grumbled about "insensitive rich bastards being insensitive" as she approached the woman's house. She placed on a big smile and greeted the woman. 

"Trick-or-treat!" she exclaimed. Oh well, if she can't catch them, she might as well do her own trick-or-treating.

"Oh my gosh! You're so adorable! You're the cutest witch I've seen so far!" the woman exclaimed as she hugged Namine to her bosom. Namine blushed in embarrassment and said.

"I'm pretty sure there are much more cuter witches than me" she told the woman with a sheepish smile. The woman went all starry eyed and hugged Namine again.

"There's no way! You're so the cutest witch! No, you're the cutest trick-or-treater!" the woman praised her. "Here's an extra piece of candy because you're so cute!" the woman said as she filled the bag. Namine gave her thanks and went to the next house.

She almost forgot the fun of being a trick-or-treater…

* * *

As for the men, they were also having their own fun. So far they had nothing but good compliments on their costumes and even got extra candy for being "handsome" or "cute" (not that they weren't those things already but that was besides the point!). 

Who knew Halloween could be this fun, especially trick-or-treating. Even Riku admits that it was a new experience and was great fun to actually be able to do this for the first time. However, they all couldn't help but wonder if they forgot something.

"Oh my, what handsome young men!" said a woman in her sixties as she stood beside her husband. "You did a very good job on your costumes" she commented as she filled their bags.

"Thank you" they all said in unison.

"Excuse me," said a voice politely. All of them turned to a little girl with blonde hair with her mother. Wait… blonde hair… Suddenly, it clicked…

THEY FORGOT ABOUT NAMINE!!!!!!!

* * *

"Thank you" said Namine politely to an old couple as they give her extra candy. She had been getting a lot of candy due to the fact that she was so "cute" as the candy givers had dubbed her. She was also very polite to them and that sometimes got her the double extra of candy shipment into her bag. 

_You know, the people here are so nice. It's hard to believe they're rich folk, _Namine thought as she looked around to find her next mansion to visit, _but then again, they don't know I'm poor so maybe it's because they think I'm one of them, _she thought sadly.

"Hey there," Namine turned to the voice that called out to her. It was a boy that looked to be twelve-years-old with blonde hair. He was with a guy who was about sixteen with orange hair that looked like wimp cream style. They were dressed as rock stars.

"You lost?" the blonde asked.

"Sort of, I kind of lost my big brother and his friends and now I'm candy hunting all by myself" she explained. This had been her story to everyone. It was best to just stick with the same story and go with it.

"That's a shame," the blonde told her sadly. He thought she looked to be a nice girl and thought of her "brother" as a big jerk. "But you can come with us if you want" he said to her with a smile.

"Yeah, the more the merrier, right?" the orange haired teen asked. Namine grinned and nodded.

"I'm Namine, by the way" she introduced herself.

"I'm Tidus," the blonde greeter her," and this is my best friend and brother Wakka" he said gesturing to the teen.

"Yo" Wakka greeted.

"Namine, let's be friends from now on" Tidus said as he held out his hand for Namine. Namine grinned and took it.

"Okay!" she agreed. With that said, the three new friends went on their quest for the holy candy.

* * *

Meanwhile, the boys were in a frantic search for the blonde. However, this was difficult since they had no idea whatsoever when they had lost her or where. 

"We need a beeper for this girl," Riku muttered.

"I could've held her hand to make sure she didn't get lost," Axel told them, "But since you all were glaring at me, I didn't" he told them. They all glared at the redhead.

"So it's our fault she's lost?" Roxas asked angrily. Axel shrugged and glared at him as if to say, "Duh, of course it is". As you can see, all of them are frustrated with worry about the blonde. They were worried so much that they were beginning to fight with one another, and that rarely happens.

"Guys, we shouldn't be fighting" Sora said. If they fought it would just waste their time. Fighting wouldn't find Namine dammit!

"Maybe we should ask and see if anyone has seen Nami-chan," Demyx suggested.

"Good idea Demyx," said Riku. They were just about to conduct said search when they heard something.

"You're so weird, Namine!" a boy's voice said laughing.

"Yeah man, cats aren't going to rule the world. If should be anything, it would be fish" another, deeper voice said.

"How can fish rule the world? Cats will just eat them! And fish can't even go on land!" a female's voice whined.

All men turned to see the object of their worry just fine with two unfamiliar boys. She was holding the younger boy's hand as the teen was carrying her candy bag. She walked in between them with the young blonde boy on her right and the teen with orange hair on her left.

"You know, Wakka, she's got a point" the blonde boy said.

"I'm sticking to my theory!" he told them.

"NAMINE!" all the men exclaimed causing said girl to look at them in confusion. She waved at them with her free hand.

"Oh hi guys!" she greeted when she was right in front of them. "These are the guys I told you about" she told the newcomers. The five males looked at her curiously; she was talking about them? Hmm, wonder what she said…

"You guys should be ashamed!" the blonde boy told them causing them to look at him in confusion.

"Wha?" they asked.

"Yeah man, leaving your little sister to fend for herself. Talk about low. She could've been kidnapped or something if she was left alone the whole time!" the teen with orange hair scolded them.

"Huh?"

"It's okay guys" Namine stopped them from yelling at her bosses "When I get home, I'll just tell on them okay?" she assured them.

_What the hell is she talking about? _They all wondered. This seemed to have worked on the two and they began to say their goodbyes. Tidus told her to come over to him for a second. She did as she was told and he kissed her cheek with a blush on his face the whole time. Her bosses gaped.

"You're really pretty and fun Namine!" he told her," Come over sometime so me, you, and Wakka can play, okay?" he asked. Namine smiled causing Tidus to blush more.

"Sure Tidus, I'll come play with you," she told him as she ruffled his hair. Tidus was a couple inches taller than her so it was a funny sight to see her ruffling his hair.

"Bye Namine!" her two new friends said and left her. She turned to the five men who were glaring at Tidus and Wakka's backs, or more specifically, Tidus's back.

"What?" she asked. They snapped out of it and stated.

"You not going over there without us" they told her. She looked at them in confusion and shrugged it off as concern that she doesn't break anything that wasn't their property.

However, it was completely the opposite. They were losing her to a twelve-year-old dammit!

"By the way, if anyone asks, Roxas you're my cruel older brother and the rest of you are his friends who think I'm annoying," Namine stated.

* * *

"Trick-or-treat!" the six young adults exclaimed. It had been an hour since Namine has rejoined the group. Their bags were now completely and utterly full. 

"So cute!" the old woman squealed at Namine as she slipped her some extra candy. "You know, I have this nice grandson who-"

"Sorry miss, we have to get going" Roxas cut her off as he placed a hand on Namine's shoulder. "My mother told me to bring my sister home before ten," he said. The old woman looked disappointed but let them be on their way.

"That was so much fun!" Namine exclaimed as she twirled around. The men were finally aware how short her dress was as they noticed many boys looking her way. However, they soon fled as soon as the five males put on their death glares to their wondering eyes.

Even Demyx never looked so scary…

* * *

"Okay pour 'em out!" Namine told them. 

"Huh?" they all asked in unison. They were all back at the mansion sitting on the marble tiled floor of the entrance hall. Namine rolled her eyes and said.

"Pour out your candy" she told them.

"Why would we do that? It will just make a mess," asked Roxas. Namine shook her head and began explaining.

"Once you collect candy on Halloween, you all sit down and pour it all out of your bag to compare amounts and have the opportunity to trade your candy to other people if you don't like that kind of candy" she explained. She remembered when she had done this with Kairi, Tifa, Leon, and even her dad on Halloween.

"So, it's like a contest then a trading center" Riku said in interest. Who knew candy was so important among commoners. He knew for sure that no one in Uptown does these types of things so it must be a commoner's tradition.

"What happens if we win?" Axel asked in interest. Namine thought for a moment before replying.

"Hmm, how about you get to pick a sweet for free out of each bag? You don't have to trade for them either" she told them. Everyone agreed on the terms so sure _they_ would win.

First Axel dumped out his, then Roxas, then Demyx, then Sora, then finally Riku. They all seemed to have a lot of candy. There was no way that Namine would win since they were given the occasion extra candy because they were handsome and charmed many women into giving them more candy.

"Come on, Namine, it's your turn" Axel said with a smug smirk. His pile was the biggest. He was so getting the free sweets!

"Hold on a second! I'm having a little trouble dumping the candy out!" she told him. Indeed, the bag was so stuffed; it was hard for Namine to dump it. However, she finally been able to dump it all out, but the thing was…

…Her pile of candy was bigger than all of theirs combined…

They all just stared mouths agape at the pile the young woman received. How did she get so much?!

As Namine collected her prize, they saw all the delicious candy she received and sulked.

"Next year, she isn't allowed to be cute," Roxas grumbled.

**

* * *

**

**Karin-chin: There all done! I hope you guys liked this chapter! I had fun writing it! I laughed at the parts where the boys were being immature. **

**Roxas, Axel, Riku, Sora, and Demyx: Karin-chin…**

**Karin-chin: Yeah?**

…

…

…

**All five males: HOW DARE YOU LET NAMINE WIN THE CANDY CONTEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Karin-chin: Oh crap!!! **_**(Runs away like crazy) **_**here's the preview! **

**Chapter Nine- preview: **

_Namine sighed as she grabbed a jar of cranberry sauce from the shelf. She shook her head while wearing an amused smile. _

_Sometimes she wondered if her bosses were aliens… _

**Karin-chin: **_**(stops running and whispers to readers less she wants her killers to find her) **_**well that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**All the males: There she is!**

**Karin-chin: cheesepuff! **_**(runs away again) **_**remember to review on the way out! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!**


	9. Namine Narumi: The Giving

**Karin-chin: Mwhahahahahahaha! I got away! Yay! **

**Roxas, Axel, Sora, Riku, and Demyx: Oh really? **_**(Holds up fire and pitch forks) **_

**Karin-chin: Oh snicker doodles! **_**(Runs away like heck) **_

**All five males: get the evil one! **_**(Chases after Karin-chin) **_

**Karin-chin: **_**(hides and puts a finger to her lips to show the readers to be quiet) **_**Shhh. Don't tell them I'm here**

**Angry mob consisting of Riku, Axel, Roxas, Demyx, and Sora: There you are! **

**Karin-chin: SNICKER DOODLES!!!!! Anyway, while I'm running for my life, please enjoy the new chapter! And thanks to **_**X – The Random Vampire – X, xxKingdom-Hearts-Fanxx, Mooncry, xxjust-a-nobodyxx, hanakitsunechan7 **_**(thanks for wishing me a happy birthday), **_**Winged Serenity, Iaveina, MiracleXofXlight, cHeRrYbLOssOm07, **_**and **_**Yuleen75**_** for reviewing last chapter. All of you reviewers rock! Now I shall continue running for my life! Enjoy the chappie! **

**Disclaimer: **Look we all know I don't own Kingdom Hearts, so stop thinking I do.

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**Recap: **

_They all just stared mouths agape at the pile the young woman received. How did she get so much?! _

_As Namine collected her prize, they saw all the delicious candy she received and sulked. _

"_Next year, she isn't allowed to be cute," Roxas muttered_.

**End of Recap: **

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**Namine Narumi- The Giving**

Halloween came and went in the blink of an eye as now the leaves on the trees turned to the beautiful colors of red, orange, and yellow signifying the transformation to autumn. And if there's one thing Namine Narumi loves about autumn, it's…

"YAHOO!!!!"

…jumping into the piles of the newly fallen leaves…

A blonde head of hair popped out of the big pile of leaves to show a young woman with blue eyes shining in excitement and pleasure. Her eyes were framed by big thick glasses with her short shoulder length hair in a low ponytail so it wouldn't get in her way.

The blonde was known as Namine Narumi. She was 21-years-old, but still acted like a child (and looked like one too). Despite her financial problems at the end of the summer to October, she always had a smile on her face.

However, Namine Narumi has indeed gotten over her financial problems and has a decent paying job. Nevertheless, though…

…her bosses can be the biggest pains in her ass…

You see, Namine Narumi didn't have an ordinary job. She worked for the top five richest bachelors in the country! You'd think Namine would be ecstatic to work for them, but…

..in reality she cursed them to the deepest darkest pits in hell…

And why do you ask, would dear sweet little Namine wish that fate on five men? Simple.

…They're rich bastards who hired her as their personal maid…

Why they hired a girl from the lowest poorest place to live in New York City to be their personal maid, Namine Narumi had no clue whatsoever.

Anyway, going to the matter at hand, Namine rose from the pile and began fixing it for another go of jumping in. It was early in the morning so there was hardly anyone at Central park. However, Namine did not come to celebrate the joys of autumn by herself.

"Why do we still do this?" asked a drowsy Squall a.k.a Leon Lionhart as he watched his younger friend prepare the pile. Namine stopped her fixing to stick her tongue out at him and replied.

"We do this to celebrate the coming autumn of course!" she replied as she went back to fixing the pile. Leon sighed at his little sister's/best friend's antics. A giggle was heard beside him.

Tifa Lockhart, Namine's other best friend and figurative big sister, also came to join in the festivities the trio usually celebrate. This was an annul event for the trio as they all enjoyed the season of autumn.

"Aren't we a little old to do this?" Leon asked. They were after all, in their twenties with Namine being the youngest of them. Tifa just laughed and replied.

"You know you love this as much as we do. Besides, this is the only time we can do this since all the little kids will be here later to jump in the leaves and we'll be too busy preparing for Thanksgiving today," Tifa explained.

"So you and Namine decide to wake me up at five in the morning?" asked Leon dryly. Namine snorted as she replied.

"It isn't my fault I've gotten used to waking up at four in the morning due to those damn wake up calls" she retorted. For the past month, Namine's internal clock has caused her to wake up at four in the morning even without the wake up calls.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped, huh?" asked a defeated Leon. The other two laughed at him. They could tell that even though Leon was in his twenties, he also enjoyed jumping into leaf piles.

"Okay! It's finished!" Namine exclaimed as she stepped away from the leave pile. She had made it extra big and extra tall for the three of them to jump in. They stepped back ten feet to get a running start.

"So what's the prize to the person who jumps in first?" asked Tifa. Namine thought for a second then grinned as she thought of an excellent idea. She snapped her fingers to prove her point.

"I know! How about whoever wins, tonight they get the first slice of the apple pie and gets the dibs on seconds! And the losers get a piece of pie after everyone else gets a piece!" Namine exclaimed. The other two had fire burning in their eyes with determination. As you can see, they all love apple pie.

"Deal!" they exclaimed. They all got ready in position to start. Apple pie the only thing in their minds to motivate them.

"Ready…" Namine started the countdown.

"Set…"

"GO!!!"

* * *

"I can't believe Squally's gonna get the first piece of pie! That's not fair!" Namine whined as a gloom cloud hung over her head. Tifa was beside her also sulking in defeat. Leon just smirked at them and said. 

"Don't worry, It's not like I'm going to take a huge piece and hardly leave anything for you two" he told them. However, his tone and smirk told them he was going to do just that. Namine and Tifa cried anime tears as they thought about only getting a little piece or no piece at all from the apple pie.

"Curse you Squally! Why did you have to be so tall!? " Namine complained as she waved her arms up and down. Her companions sweatdropped.

"Being tall has nothing to do with being fast Namine" Tifa told her. Namine just shook her head and replied.

"Yes it does! The longer the legs, the more steps you can make in the less amount of time! I saw on the discovery channel once," she told her friends. Tifa looked at her in confusion.

"I didn't know the discovery channel talks about that," Tifa said.

"They don't, it was only mentioned in the human evolution documentary Namine and I watched last week," Leon explained. Tifa nodded in understanding.

"Oh, that would make sense" Tifa said. They all walked to the bench where they placed their stuff and began packing up knowing that they had to get ready for this evenings dinner. Suddenly, Tifa remembered something and turned to Namine.

"Hey Namine, I've been meaning to ask you. You _did_ remember to tell your bosses that you wouldn't be able to work today right?" she asked. Namine dropped her black messenger bag before she could place it over her shoulder with her mouth agape. Tifa sighed knowingly. She _knew _Namine forgot something…

"Oh crap! I forgot to let them know in advance I wouldn't be able to go to work today! Now they'll never let me go to the thanksgiving party and it's my turn this year to buy the food supplies, _and _I'm also on cooking duty!" Namine panicked. Since Namine was the best cooker out of the guests, it was her job to cook. And it takes about six to eight hours to cook a damn turkey! Six to eight hours dammit!

"Relax, Namine" Leon told her. "I'm sure they have other plans with their families so maybe they'll let you off the hook or something. I doubt they'll need you to do any cooking since they probably prefer grand chefs or something with their families," Leon explained. Namine looked doubtful and replied.

"I don't know. They never really talked about their families. Maybe I should go now and ask them if I could take the day off today" Namine said and began to leave, but Tifa placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"No offense Namine but you really don't have time to sprint all the way to Uptown and back. As you said, you have a lot to do" Tifa told her. Namine was starting to protest saying that even though they were rich bastards, she couldn't just skip work without an explanation until Tifa stopped her. "However, you can give them a call and beg your heart out over the phone for them to give you the day off" Tifa said smiling as she held up Leon's cell phone, who was currently glaring at her and complaining about why he puts up with these two.

Namine took the phone gratefully and dialed the mansion phone number. Riku made her memorize it in case of emergencies and such. She took a deep breath as the phone rang and prepared to give a nice calm explanation.

"_Hello?" _

"I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T ALERT YOU EARLIER BUT TODAY IS THANKSGIVING AND I HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TO TAKE CARE OF LIKE SHOPPING AND COOKING, ESPECIALLY COOKING THE TURKEY! DID YOU KNOW IT TAKES SIX TO EIGHT HOURS TO COOK A DAMN TURKEY?! I REALLY NEED THE DAY OFF SO PLEASE _PLEASE _GIVE ME THE DAY OFF! I PROMISE I'LL TELL YOU IN ADVANCE NEXT TIME BUT I FORGOT TO DO IT THIS TIME SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!!" Namine had shouted in all one breath. She panted heavily as Tifa, Leon, and the person on the other line sweatdropped.

"_Sorry, no dice. You know the rules, moron" _it was clearly Roxas on the other line who had picked up the phone, and judging by his grumpy voice, he had just been woken up by the phone. Namine began whining and she dropped on her knees in a begging motion as if he could see her.

"Please Roxas! This is the most important day of the year besides Christmas! I have a huge responsibility to fulfill! Can't you find it in your heart to let me have a day off just this once?" she begged.

"_No"_ he replied. It was firm and final, but Namine wouldn't give up.

"Come on! It's not like I'm going to be needed today! You're probably all spending thanksgiving with all your families anyway!" she shouted over the phone.

"_Shut up! That's none of your business!"_ Roxas shouted scaring Namine. Roxas may be mean, but he never shouted at her. It was one thing Namine couldn't stand; people shouting at her when she had down nothing wrong. It made her feel dirty in a sense.

"Um, okay, I guess I'll see you later" Namine said sadly with a sniffle. Roxas seemed to have realized what he did because he had tried to say something.

"_Hey, I didn't mean-"but_ he didn't get to finish because Namine hung up. Tifa hugged the young woman to her bosom in an act of comfort while Leon scowled at his phone as if it would cause the people on the other end to catch on fire. They both knew that this was an important time for Namine since she normally doesn't get to have a big dinner with her loved ones since she hardly has enough money. It wasn't like the breakfasts with Leon and Tifa weren't enough, but this would be a dinner with the whole gang, including Namine's father, who she loves very dearly but doesn't get the chance to see him. In fact, the last time she saw her father was at the Easter dinner they all had together, and that was seven or eight months ago.

"Don't worry Namine, you still get to come, except it will probably be at eleven or something" Tifa tried to console her friend. Leon snorted and replied.

"She'll be too tired to do anything. She'll probably just fall asleep on the couch as soon as she got there," Leon told her. They both heard light sobs from the blonde as Tifa held her tighter.

"I feel like I'm letting everyone down" Namine cried. It was true, she had to do the shopping and the cooking. Without her, there wouldn't even be a thanksgiving dinner! Tifa stroked the young woman's hair and told her.

"Well, we can always do the shopping and cooking instead" Tifa said. Namine gave off a laugh and replied.

"Without burning the food and calling the fire department? I didn't think so," Namine stated bluntly. Tifa furrowed her eyebrows and replied hotly.

"What about Leon? He can cook!" Tifa told her. Leon chose as this time to cut in.

"I don't have the patience nor the talent of multitasking to make a thanksgiving dinner," Leon told her while crossing his arms. Namine laughed at his claim and expression with tears still in her eyes. She wiped them away with the sleeve of her madras and stated.

"I was really looking forward to this;" she told them sadly, "Pops loves my thanksgiving dinner! He practically counts down the days to it! I feel like I'm really letting him down" Namine told them solemnly. Ever since her father got out of his state of depression, Namine has done everything in her willpower to make sure he never went back in it. She feared that even the smallest disappointment would cause him grief.

"Namine, your dad loves you. He won't be mad just because you couldn't make a thanksgiving dinner because of your job," Tifa told her. Leon nodded and continued.

"As long as you show up with that idiotic grin on your face, he'll be the happiest man in the world," Leon said as he ruffled her hair. Namine smiled, but it soon disappeared as she glared at Leon.

"You think my grin's idiotic?" asked Namine glaring. Leon and Tifa chuckle and Leon ruffles her hair again.

"Come on, we have to get going" Leon said as the three exited Central park. Namine wouldn't give up as she chased after them.

"You didn't answer my question dammit!" Namine shouted. "Wait up!" she complained as she ran to catch up to them. The other two laughed at their younger friend and continued on their way just to tease her.

"Curse you!" Namine exclaimed.

* * *

"Well, I guess I can pick up the supplies really quick, drop them off to someone who can actually cook besides me, and then head over to Uptown for work" Namine muttered as she walked along the sidewalk to her usual grocery store in the middle class district since the grocery store in the slums was either getting robbed or they didn't have anything good there to eat. 

To be honest, Namine was still disappointed, but as long as she got to contribute to something then she was okay. Besides, like Tifa said, she was coming later on tonight.

_Yeah, but by then the pie will be all gone, _Namine thought as anime tears flowed down her face. She only got to eat pie on the holidays. This was so unfair! _I guess I'll just have to wait until the Christmas dinner, _Namine thought sourly. _And this time, I'll be sure to let them know in advance so I can get the day off, _she added in an afterthought.

As Namine came closer to the supermarket, she filled herself with determination as she prepared to go on her food hunt. She clenched her fists at her bosom (or lack of thereof) and looked determinedly at the sky.

_Okay, Namine-chin, Fight-o! _Namine encouraged herself with her usual pep name and the famous Japanese phrase that fires up Japanese people (A/n: usually in animes the characters say "Fight-o" in an effort to encourage themselves).

When Namine got to her destination, she was all prepared to fight through old ladies and persistent last shoppers for her items. She was prepared to wait in line for the clerk for long periods of time because the person in front of her was searching through their purse or pocket for the exact amount of change then realized that they don't have it and just give the clerk an extra dollar instead.

However, she wasn't prepared to see the sight in front of her…

Namine rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She even pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It was definitely real all right…

There her rich and slightly insane (in her opinion anyway) bosses were. All five of them were standing in front of the supermarket looking around as if searching for someone. A lot of people, mostly female, were looking at them curiously or with hearts in their eyes as they saw them, but they didn't seem to be in the mood to charm women at the moment or didn't seem to notice them at all.

"Um, hey, what are you guys doing here?" Namine asked when she was close enough to them. They all turned to her as soon as she spoke. They all had smiles on there faces when they realized it was her.

"We're waiting for you," Axel told her. Namine gave him a look of confusion.

"For… me?" Namine asked pointing a finger to herself and tilting her head slightly in a cute way. They all gave her a nod. "Why?" she asked them.

"We wanted to help you buy your groceries on your day off" Riku told her. "Since you have been working so hard, we figured it was the least we could do for you," he told her. Namine did a double take and looked at them with surprise.

"Day off? You mean that I can have the day off?" Namine asked with happiness. Riku nodded to her and she smiled in a grateful way. "Wahoo!" Namine cheered as she jumped up and down. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Namine said repeatedly.

The five males smiled glad she was happy. When Namine stopped her cheering, she realized something and turned to ask them.

"How did you know I would be here?" she asked suspiciously. Riku was the one who answered her.

"You're our house cleaner, which means that we have to keep tabs on where you shop, places you visit, etc.," he stated calmly. Namine sweatdropped at his reply.

"Oh, I see" Namine replied weakly as one of her eyebrows twitched.

"Besides, this is the first time we've been to a grocery store, let alone a commoner's grocery store," Riku told her and the others nodded. Namine's sweatdrop doubled in size as the twitching became more noticeable.

* * *

"Hmm, let's see" Namine muttered as she looked at her list with Sora and Riku next to her as Roxas, Axel, and Demyx got the cart. Well, more like they were examining it curiously, obviously never seeing a grocery cart before. 

Once they got the cart, Namine headed towards the vegetable/produce section to get corn, broccoli, tomatoes, apples (for the apple pie), etc. The others just followed her not sure of what to do as they looked around amazed at the establishment of a grocery store.

As Namine stopped to examine the vegetables, her companions explored the area, but stayed close to the cart so they wouldn't lose Namine. Riku, having collected enough data on this part of the supermarket, (A/n: picture the supermarket, both inside and out, to look like an ACME) approached the blonde as she was looking at the apples, making sure there weren't any holes or bruises on them.

"What're you doing?" he asked her. Namine had three apples in her little plastic bag for apples and was putting in the fourth so far.

"I'm checking for bruises or worm holes in them," she told him as she examined her fifth apple. It had a huge soft spot on it meaning it had a bruise. She put it back and examined another one.

"I'm sure they wouldn't put the apple in the market if a worm had been inside it" Riku reasoned. Namine shook her head and replied.

"Never can be too careful when it comes to food. Besides, one time, Squally bit into an apple and it turns out it had a worm hole in it" she told him and put her fifth apple in the bag seeing that it was clear (A/n: that happened to my friend once, she was totally traumatized and I couldn't blame her).

"Squally?" asked Riku in confusion. It was probably a pet name. For some reason, Riku hoped it was for a girl instead of a guy. Namine nodded and replied.

"Yeah, his real name's Squall, but everyone calls him Leon, but I call him Squally because it pisses him off, hehe" she replied with an evil grin thinking about Leon glaring at her at the moment as if he knew she was calling him that even without him around.

"Oh, so he's your _boyfriend_?" Riku spat out the word. He didn't like that idea of Namine having a boyfriend. Namine didn't notice as she was too busy gaping at him with one of her eyes twitching.

"Are you crazy? Squally's like my big brother! Plus why would I date a total dumbass who likes my-" Namine caught herself in time-" a person I know" she finished with a nervous laugh hoping that Leon wouldn't pop out of nowhere and give her a super noogie.

Riku seemed pleased with her answer and sighed in relief. At least he was the only one who heard her talking about another guy before clearing things out. He knew the others would probably try to kill something, or more of _someone_.

But then again, he wondered why he cared about it so much. So what if their house cleaner wasn't single? It wasn't like they were interested in her.

However, Riku knew that was one big lie…

* * *

"Hey get out of the cart!" Roxas yelled to Demyx. They were now collecting sauces and other toppings. Demyx was in the part of the cart where babies are usually placed. Demyx gave Roxas a sheepish smile and said. 

"I think I'm kinda stuck," he told them. Roxas gave off a frustrated sigh and tried pulling him out along with Axel. Riku just watched in silent amusement as Sora went over to Namine deciding to talk to her instead.

Namine was currently examining the types of cranberry sauces in concentration. When Sora approached her, she didn't notice him until he spoke.

"Hey" he greeted. Namine turned around to face him and gave a smile.

"Hey, having fun?" she asked him. Sora nodded and placed his arms behind his head as he grinned at her.

"Yeah, this is the first time I've been to a supermarket so I'm having fun learning about how things work" Sora told her. Namine gave him a grin and replied.

"That's good for you," she told him. She then realized something and asked "Hey Sora, how come you've never been to a supermarket?" she asked him.

"Well, the maids always did the shopping for us before we all moved in together. Then we just went to restaurants so we didn't have to go food shopping" Sora explained to her. Namine nodded and went back to examining the cranberry sauces, but Sora wasn't done talking to her.

"Actually Namine," Sora began, "I wanted to talk to you about Roxas" he told her seriously. Namine didn't turn around to look at him.

"What about him?" she asked. She was still kind of shaken up from him yelling at her this morning. Sora sighed seeing that this was going to be difficult.

"He doesn't have control over his emotions well, Sometimes he bottles them up from time to time and doesn't know what to do with them until he explodes" Sora started explaining. "He's… He's not used to the fact that you're talking back to him and don't do what he wants" Sora explained. He knew more than anyone did what Roxas was feeling. And judging by this morning, he was really upset with himself.

"So, what's this got to do with me?' she asked bitterly. She took a jar from the shelf to read its contents. She heard Sora sigh behind her and he grabbed the jar gently to prevent her from reading the label.

"I mean that Roxas has difficulty with dealing with people, call it acting like a child," he told her. Namine still didn't look at him, but she didn't remove his hand from the label so that meant that she was paying attention to him.

"Did you know that this was all Roxas's idea?" Sora asked. "He woke us up and told us to get dressed without an explanation at all and dragged us here," Sora told her. It was actually kind of funny now that he looked back on it. Usually Roxas was the last to wake up and there he was at their bedroom doors wide awake and telling them to get dressed.

Namine looked at him surprised and in disbelief. She turned her gaze to Roxas who was currently yelling at how Demyx was too big to even get in the cart in the first place.

"It was all him Namine" he told her, "Even the day off idea, it was all Roxas's doing." He explained.

"Why?" she asked quietly. Sora gave her a soft smile.

"I guess this was his way of saying he was sorry" he replied. "He really is sorry Namine, he just doesn't know how to say it," Sora said to her. Sora then turned to look at the blonde male as he and Axel were once again trying to get Demyx out of the cart. Riku was still watching in amusement if the smirk was any indication.

"But you know," Sora began causing her attention to turn to him again," I think he's been able to deal with his emotions much more practically when communicating with others now since you came" Sora told her and left her alone to join the other males.

Roxas and Axel had pulled so hard they tripped and Demyx rolled fast in the other direction still in the cart. Roxas and Axel rose up and began chasing after him frantically.

Namine sighed as she grabbed a jar of cranberry sauce from the shelf. She shook her head while wearing an amused smile.

Sometimes she wondered if her bosses were aliens…

* * *

They had managed to get Demyx safely out of the cart without destroying anything, but the manager didn't want it happening again. They would've gotten a worse punishment instead of scolding but since Namine was a friend of the manager, he let them off with a warning. 

They were at the end of their quest for food and all was left was to get a turkey. The others were located near the ice-cream/freezer section too busy scolding/baby sitting Demyx while Namine looked at the turkeys. She was really glad that there were still turkey here since everyone always goes to get a turkey when shopping for thanksgiving.

As she examined the turkey, she gazed out at the corner of her eye to see Roxas looking curiously at the meats. She had to smile and laugh a little at seeing the cocky boy looking genuinely curious. She had to admit, it was pretty adorable.

She quietly crept behind the blonde male intending on sorting things out with him. When she was close enough, she peaked around his arm to see that he was examining a pack of steak (you know since she couldn't reach to look over his shoulder).

"Wondering where all your meals come from I see" she spoke. Roxas jumped slightly when Namine spoke. She laughed in her head at him.

"Yeah," Roxas replied stiffly. Namine furrowed her brows and shook her head. Sora was right; Roxas didn't know how to deal with other people. With one last sigh, she grabbed Roxas's hand causing him to drop the pack into the pile of packs and she pulled him along.

Roxas felt heat go to his cheeks and he asked.

"What are you doing?' he asked her. She stopped in front of the turkeys and replied.

"I want a second opinion on what turkey I should get," she told him, "And since you are so observant of meat, I thought I would ask you," she explained grinning. She hadn't let go of his hand.

"Shouldn't you be getting an expert?" he asked. He tried to cool the heat in his cheeks, but he was failing miserably. Isn't this supposed to be a freezer section? If it was, it ws doing a horrible job because he wasn't cold at all! Namine raised an eyebrow at him and asked.

"What expert? There's no one here at the moment except me, you, and the baby sitters' club," she said jabbing a finger in the other males' direction. Roxas laughed at that and turned his attention to the turkeys. He thought for a moment before pointing to a specific turkey. Namine picked it up and examined the turkey. After a few seconds, she smiled in satisfaction and placed it in the cart.

"Great job Roxas! This will be a great turkey!" she told him grinning. As for Roxas, he was very confused, wasn't she supposed to be mad at him?

"By the way, thanks" she told him. Roxas snapped his head in her direction with a look of shock. "For the day off, it really means a lot to me," she said smiling in sincerity.

"And… I'm sorry" Namine apologized. "I shouldn't have been so selfish and begged for you to give me this day off" she told him. Roxas just stared at him in astonishment.

_This is the first conversation we had without us insulting each other or fighting, _Roxas realized. In fact, he liked them better this way. He opened his mouth to say that she wasn't the one who should be sorry, but his tongue got tied and he heard himself telling her.

"It's okay" he told her. She gave him a smile and they went to pay for the items with the others. Namine had never once let go of his hand. Roxas squeezed it slightly. This was his way of telling her he was sorry for the time being.

Sora smiled as he watched Namine and Roxas through the corner of his eye. He was glad that Roxas was learning to communicate with people and was able to show Namine his feelings slightly instead of just teasing her to get her attention.

Although, he had a hard time admitting to himself, watching them together like that made his chest hurt for some reason. Like a knife was stabbed into his chest and he wished it was him there instead of Roxas.

But for now, he ignored it and let Roxas have his time with Namine…

* * *

"Hey Namine," Sora began, catching the blonde's attention. All of them were outside of the supermarket; each of them was holding a bag in each hand. The men had paid for the food instead of Namine in which she was grateful. "Why did you buy so much food? Are there really a lot of people at your dinner tonight?' Sora asked. All of them looked at Namine waiting for an answer. She just smiled and told them. 

"No, there's only going to be ten people counting me," she told them, "However, I bought extra because we might be having five extra guests tonight, that is, if they wouldn't mind spending thanksgiving with the lower class society" she told them grinning uneasily.

"Who? Who are they, Nami-chan?" Demyx asked excitedly. Axel whacked him on the head and said.

"Idiot! She's talking about us!" Axel told the hyperactive male. Demyx and the others looked at her in surprise.

"Really Nami-chan? You wanted us to join you?" Demyx asked. Namine blushed in embarrassment and looked at her sneakers.

"Yeah, if you guys don't have plans that is" she told them not looking at them.

"No, we would love to join your family" Riku told her.

"Yeah, I'm sure they're really great people" Sora said.

"I want to congratulate them for putting up with a moron like you for so long," Roxas said smiling as he poked her cheek. Namine slapped his hand away playfully and grinned at him.

"I want to try your cooking" Axel said to her.

"It's okay with me, I would love to spend time with Nami-chan and her family," Demyx said in excitement.

"Well, then let's go you slow pokes!" Namine exclaimed and started running in the direction of Fuu's apartment complex with her bags swinging at her sides.

"Oy! Watch it! The bags might rip!" Roxas exclaimed as he ran after her. The others followed her as she ran.

* * *

"Yay! Fuu, I've come to bother you!" Namine exclaimed as she stood outside of Fuu's door to her apartment. The door opened to show a disgruntled Fuu with a disheveled appearance. 

"Namine," the silver haired woman began, "Do you know what time it is?" she asked the blonde sweetly. Namine laughed nervously and said.

"Um, it's about nine in the morning" Namine replied. Fuu nodded and replied.

"Good, now when do I usually sleep to?" asked Fuu showing slight irritation. Namine could see what was coming for her as she took a step back and squeaked out.

"You wake up at eleven thirty, my favorite person in the whole wide world" Namine replied. There was a few seconds of silence before…

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU WAKING ME UP TWO AND A HALF HOURS BEFORE I USUALLY GET UP?!" Fuu yelled at the blonde woman.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! But I really need to use your apartment to cook the dinner due to the fact my apartment's too small and you know how Moogle gets when I cook thanksgiving dinner! Do you want a cat to eat the dinner?!" Namine asked in despair as she was down on her knees begging her childhood friend.

Before Fuu could answer, the door to her apartment opened wider to show a male about thirty with brown hair and tan skin.

"Hey Fuu, what's going on, y'know?" asked the male as he stared at the six people at the door. He then noticed the blonde woman and grinned.

"Well, if it isn't Namine? How ya been, y'know?" asked the male. Namine rose from her spot on the floor, grinned at the male, and waved.

"Hey Rai! Long time no see!" she greeted. The male ruffled her hair and gave her a hug not noticing the glares sent his way. He then turned to Fuu and complained.

"Hey Fuu, why didn't you tell me Namine was coming? I haven't seen this squirt in years, y'know?" Rai complained. Fuu smirked and replied.

"Sorry bro, I wanted her to myself," she told him. The five males had no idea if she was serious about that statement or if she was joking around. Namine laughed and hugged Fuu.

"You spoil me Fuu!" Namine exclaimed.

"Um…" the five bystanders had no idea how to cut in to this.

"Oh, these are my bosses" Namine introduced them. "This is Riku, Sora, Axel, Roxas, and Demyx" she pointed to each male.

"So you are the guys that Namine was telling me about," Fuu stated. The five males looked at her curiously. "Yes, you are the rich bastards all right" Fuu said as she observed them. Namine and Rai laughed at Fuu's bluntness as the other males did a unison anime fall.

"So anyway, what brings you here, y'know?" asked Rai. Namine told him of her dilemma and grinned.

"Well, since we're up, I guess you can use the kitchen while Fuu keeps an eye on you, y'know" Rai told her. He then turned to the other males and told them, "put the bags inside and we'll leave them to do their womanly bonding, y'know" he told them. The males tried protesting but Rai whispered to them. "Trust me; you don't want to be in the same room as them when they do their womanly bonding. You'll lose some of your sanity in the process," he told them quietly. With that statement, the others agreed.

"Okay! Have Fun!" Namine waved them goodbye and shut the door. They could hear Namine happily chatting with Fuu who was just talking calmly to her energetic friend.

"Well, let's get a bite to eat y'know" Rai said as they walked away from the apartment.

* * *

In front of them was a run down apartment that was only three stories high and seemed to have cracked windows and barely any light to them. Sora, Roxas, Axel, Riku, and Demyx stared at it in shock while Namine grinned with Rai and Fuu beside her looking at it solemnly. 

"Here we are! Home sweet home!" Namine exclaimed as she ran up to the steps of the stoop leading to the door. Fuu and Rai followed her but the others stayed behind still staring at the building in surprise.

"Are you surprised?" asked Fuu. They all turned to look at the silver haired woman.

"You had no idea what her life was like did you?" asked Fuu. She didn't bother waiting for an answer as she calmly walked inside.

"Now that I look at it," Roxas began, "I feel like such a bastard for making fun of her," he said angry with himself. The others agreed with him also believing that they shouldn't have flaunted their apparent wealth to the blonde girl, even if it was accidental most of the time.

"We all do," Axel said.

"Well, we might as well go inside and and not say anything for Namine's sake" Riku told them and they all made their way to the door with heavy hearts. How could they have been so dense? They should've known Namine's life didn't give her the privileges they took for granted. They felt absolutely horrible!

_No wonder she hates us, _they all thought to themselves. When they got inside, they saw Namine waiting for them. She grinned when she saw them and beckoned them over to the door she was standing in front of. As she opened the door, they all made a silent agreement to not do anything to ruin this for Namine.

"Hiya everyone!" Namine exclaimed when she opened the door. There everyone was: Kairi, Cloud, Leon, Fuu, Tifa, and Rai. A woman who looked to be 22-years-old with long brown hair stopping at her mid back and bright emerald eyes approached them with a smile on her face. Namine grinned happily as she crushed the taller woman into a hug.

"Olette! Olette! I'm so happy to see you!" Namine exclaimed. The rest of the occupants of the room laughed along with Olette.

"It's great to see you too Namine" Olette said as she patted the blonde on the head. Namine smiled at her brunette friend. These days, Olette had closed up because she had been raped about a month ago, but with Namine, she could truly be comfortable and that made Namine happy.

"Oh Namine, it's good to see you!" Kairi said as she hugged the blonde. The five rich males guessed this to be Namine's sister. "You remember Hayner?" Kairi said gesturing to a light brown/dirty blonde male with brown eyes talking to Cloud.

"Sup, Namine haven't seen you in a while," Hayner said as he high fived the short blonde. Hayner was Cloud's cousin who lived in the middle district. He was great to get along with and Namine and him acted like they were siblings.

"Yeah, it's a shame I can't visit you all the time, right otouto?" she grinned using his nickname. Hayner scowled and replied.

"For the last time Namine, I'm a year older than you, which means I'm 'Onii-san' not 'otouto-san'" Hayner told her while crossing his arms. Namine laughed at him and replied.

"Yes, but you don't act anything near an older brother, so I shall call you my little brother!" Namine told him and walked passed him to place the bags she carried in down on the table.

"Same old Namine, stubborn as a bull" Hayner muttered as Kairi and Cloud laughed at him. Leon and Tifa began helping the blonde woman as she unloaded the food and set everything up. The five men also noticed that Namine's friend, Olette, also scampered over to help, as if she was afraid of being away from Namine.

"Where's my hello you little rascal?" asked a male voice. Namine and everyone turned to see a man with auburn hair and brown eyes in his late forties. He smiled when he saw Namine. Namine grinned the biggest grin the men have seen her do and ran straight to the old man.

"There's my favorite pops!" Namine exclaimed as the man caught her and spun her around since she was so small. The man gave off a chuckle and replied.

"I'm your only pops," he told her. Namine just grinned and ruffled the man's auburn hair.

"Yes, but you're still my favorite!" she told him. The men smiled at their maid's happiness. She seemed really close to her dad. Mr. Narumi placed his oldest daughter back on her feet and he smiled at everyone. For someone in their forties, he looked to be well in shape.

His brown-eyed gaze stopped at Namine's guests as he smiled at them.

"And who might you young gentlemen be?" he asked. Riku gave him a bow of respect before replying.

"We've been invited here by your daughter sir," he told them.

"Oh yeah, pops! These are my bosses!" Namine exclaimed as she went over to them with Olette right behind her. "The silver haired guy is Riku, the brown spiky haired guy is Sora, Axel's the guy with crazy red hair, Demyx is the dirty blonde with the rock and roll hairstyle, and the last one with blonde hair is Roxas! Oh, and don't be some formal guys, this is a party of family, no reason to be formal with them!" she introduced them.

"Oh, so they're not your boyfriends?" Mr. Narumi asked disappointedly. Of course, it was in a playful manner. The five men blushed at his statement while Namine snorted.

"No pops, they're just my bosses who command me like they own me," Namine said grinning.

_How can she say that with a grin on her face? _The five rich folk thought in astonishment while sweatdropping.

"Oh, well okay then" Mr. Narumi grinned and patted Namine on the head. Everyone, including the people who practically known Namine their whole lives, sweatdropped.

* * *

"Squally, you give me that piece of pie dammit!" Namine shouted outraged as Leon took her piece of apple pie. They had eaten dinner and were now going on to dessert. 

"You remember the bet we had this morning, I get seconds" Leon told her smirking. Namine tried reaching for her pie, but Leon's hand on her forehead prevented her from moving any closer to her piece of pie.

"Yeah, but I didn't mean you could take mine you dumbass!" she yelled at him and continued fruitlessly to get her pie. Soon, they started another pounding session. Tifa was laughing at them while Olette tried to stop the fighting.

"As always, they're acting like idiots," Fuu said as she ate her piece of pie. She sweatdropped when she saw Mr. Narumi and Kairi cheering Namine on as Cloud watched in amusement along with Rai. Hayner grumbled out an agreement. "What's with you?" she asked the male.

"Olette" he muttered. Fuu nodded in understanding. Hayner really liked Olette, but for some reason, she wouldn't go near him unless Namine was beside her or she just spent her whole time with Namine completely. In reality, no one knew about Olette being raped except for Namine.

"Oh well, you just can't compete with Namine, that's all" Fuu patted his shoulder in sympathy. "She's just too cute to resist, isn't that right fellas?" Fuu asked turning to the five men who practically choked on their dessert.

"Wha?" they asked. Fuu smirked and stated.

"You like Namine" she told them as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's so obvious to me. The things you do for her, the fact that you want to keep her happy all the time, and the fact that you're all glaring at Leon like a jealous boyfriend" she told them. "Well, except for you silver haired guy" she added noticing Riku wasn't glaring at Leon.

"They're nothing but platonic siblings, why should I glare," he told her smoothly. The others glared at Riku as if saying 'why didn't you tell us?'

"I didn't think it was important" Riku answered the unasked question. His companions sweatdropped.

* * *

"Thanks" Fuu said suddenly. They turned to her in confusion. "I don't know what you guys have been doing, but Namine seems… more cheerful and carefree than she used to be" she told them. 

"When we were younger, it seemed like she was always holding back on her smiles and carrying a heavy burden," Fuu told them. "You see, Namine never got the pleasure of ignorance, even as a child," she said solemnly.

"What do you-"

"Fuu!" Namine interrupted coming over to the chair that Fuu sat in beside the couch the men were sitting on. She was smiling happily. "Dance with me!" she exclaimed as she pulled Fuu out of her seat to dance with her. The song "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack was playing on the radio.

They all watched as Namine and a reluctant Fuu danced to "I Hope You Dance". They watched as Namine laughed with her family as if she was the luckiest girl in the world. Truth be told, the five rich folk felt sort of out of place with this foreign atmosphere since they never once had this experience with their own families.

"So you are the men my daughter tells me about" Mr. Narumi interrupted their thoughts as he sat down on the old couch. "I feel like I know you from the things she's told me," he told them smiling.

"I'm sure they aren't good things," Axel says. The others nod in agreement. However, Mr. Narumi chuckled and shook his head.

"As a matter of fact, I hardly hear bad things about you these days," he told them. They looked at him in shock. He had to be kidding, right? "She sounds so happy when she tells me about you. She didn't use to be like that at all; so, I really wanted to meet the men who made my daughter the happiest I've seen her in my life," he told them.

"Thank you" he told them, "From all of us, Thank you for being with my daughter and please continue to be with her," he told them sincerely. It was a moment of silence between them before Demyx spoke up.

"Why was Nami-chan so unhappy when she was younger? Was it because she couldn't get anything she wanted?" he asked the man. Mr. Narumi just smiled sadly and replied.

"If she didn't tell you, then she's not ready to open that story up to you," he told them. They looked disappointed and Mr. Narumi continued, "Just like you hide things from her, she has secrets of her own," he told them. He then made a move to get up as they stared at him in astonishment and admiration about him being able to read them that well.

"However, that secret hasn't brought her down yet, and I have a feeling it won't ever if you are around for her" he said and left the couch to watch his daughters dancing. Kairi was dancing with Cloud while Namine was dancing with Tifa and Leon. Fuu and Rai were laughing at the comedy display of the trio while Hayner finally got Olette to dance with him. They all smiled as they watched the blonde with her family.

Suddenly, Namine approached them and grabbed Roxas. He looked at her surprised as she grinned.

"Nn, you look bored!" she told him. "Come on, let lose and have fun! This is a family party and around family you guys can be yourselves!" she told the five men. She then took Roxas and tried to help him to dance with her. However, the two were too busy trying to step on the others foot in anger because they were insulting each other again.

"I think they're getting it," Axel said as he saw Namine and Roxas get into the steps perfectly because of their quarrel (A/n: picture Roxas and Namine dancing like Chrono and Rosette from Chrono Crusade in episode 18 when they're dancing together). "So I guess when you dance with a commoner, you have to step on their feet to get into it" he said amused at the display. Namine then turned to them and beckoned them over to her.

"Come one! You guys all come join too!" she exclaimed to them. They all smiled at her and rose from the couch. Roxas twirled her to Axel who caught her with ease. She was then passed on to Demyx who danced around excitedly as she did. She was being twirled to Sora, but Riku caught her first.

"Hey!" Sora laughed out as Riku smirked at him. Riku then twirled Namine to Sora who easily caught her.

It continued on like that between the six of them as the others danced with their own partner or they just watched with smiles on their faces.

The five males watched Namine smile as they danced with her. She looked so happy. They wished that it didn't have to end for her or them, but they kknew it was futile because time doesn't stop for anyone. But they pushed this thought out of their mind as they concentrated on the young blonde before them. It was then they realized something they should've realized at the beginning.

Namine wasn't poor at all. In fact, she was the richest girl in the world…

**

* * *

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**Karin-chin: Yay! All done! I was listening to "I Hope You Dance" while writing this and I couldn't help but put that last scene in the end where they're all dancing with her. I just thought it was so cute as I imagined it with the song playing in the background. **

**Roxas: There you are! **

**Other males: Finally we caught you! **_**(Holds up their pitch forks) **_

**Karin-chin: wait! You can't kill me! **

**All five males: why not? **

**Karin-chin: because if I'm dead, that means the story won't be finished and a LOT of angry readers will come after you! **

**Axel: She's right. But then again, she could be lying her butt off! **

**Sora: Yeah! **

**Karin-chin: Fine! If I get any reviews for this chapter, that means I was telling the truth, but if I don't get any reviews, you can kill me without consequence. **

**All five males: Deal! **

**Chapter ten- preview: **

"_Oy, Old hag!" Namine called. Tifa turned around to face the blonde ten-year-old. Namine sighed and looked at her in concern. _

"_Be careful," she told her. Tifa smiled, these were the few rare times when Namine would show she cared. "Because if that moron hurts you, then I can't" Tifa did an anime fall at that statement. _

…_but then again, Namine always has to add a comment after it…_

**Karin-chin: well that's it! See ya! And review because my life and the continuing of this story is at stake! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**


	10. Namine Narumi: The Supporter

**Karin-chin: I'm Alive! Thanks for saving me reviewers! **

**All the males: we were so close!**

**Karin-chin: shush! Anyway, I apologize to all the people awaiting this chapter. It's just that I started high school and I've been too busy to write lately. **

**Sora: What about the part where you were writing LokixSpica fanfictions? **

**Karin-chin: Well—um—that's… **

**Roxas: and the part where you were being lazy?**

**Karin-chin: not entirely true—**

**Demyx: and finally the part where you were watching Bleach all the time instead of writing? **

**Karin-chin: It isn't my fault that it's so addictive! How can death gods killing hollows and a whole plot to destroy the soul society with the addition of comedy and all that action not be awesome?!**

_**(everyone sweatdrop**_**s) **

**Demyx: Really? **

**Roxas: Stop talking about this! Karin, we don't want to hear you rant about Bleach! Get on with the story! **

**Karin-chin: Alright already! Thanks to **_**xxKingdom-Hearts-Fanxx, Mooncry, Iaveina, X-The Random Vampire-X, chainxofxmemories, **_**and **_**Yuleen75 **_**for reviewing the last chapter. You all saved my life from the angry mob! **

**Axel: Stop rubbing it in! **

**Disclaimer: **I DON'T own the fabulous game of Kingdom Hearts

**IMPORTANT NOTE:**** Non-users, meaning people who do not have accounts, on are now able to review my stories! If you could not review before, you are able to do so now. Please give me a review at the end of the chapter or any chapter if you like. Thanks!**

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**Recap: **

_It continued on like that between the six of them as the others danced with their own partner or they just watched with smiles on their faces. _

_The five males watched Namine smile as they danced with her. She looked so happy. They wished that it didn't have to end for her or them, but they kknew it was futile because time doesn't stop for anyone. But they pushed this thought out of their mind as they concentrated on the young blonde before them. It was then they realized something they should've realized at the beginning. _

_Namine wasn't poor at all. In fact, she was the richest girl in the world…_

**End of Recap: **

**

* * *

**

**Namine Narumi- The Supporter**

"_Let me cry on you" she sobbed out as she held the young girl, "Let me cry on you and let my tears fell on you, please" she begged to her companion._

"_Just this once…" _

* * *

"_OOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDDDD HHHHHHHHAGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" _a voice shouted followed by many loud bangs on the door. 

"Ugh" groaned out a woman as she moved around in her covers. She cursed the woman on the other side of the door knowing full well who it was.

After deciding that Namine was not going to leave her alone, Tifa rose out of bed and headed towards her door. The young woman unlocked it prepared to kill the blonde, but instead she got a big surprise…

..Confetti was blown straight into her face…

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIFA!!!!!" shouted Namine Narumi and Squall a.k.a Leon Lionhart as they stood outside her doorway. Both of them were wearing pointy party hats and had noisemakers in their mouths with the addition of Leon wearing a red clown nose.

Tifa laughed aloud when she saw them. In fact, the sight of Leon wearing a clown nose was too hilarious that Tifa fell on the floor laughing her butt off. Leon glared at her as a flash went off beside him. He turned to see Namine holding a camera and taking out the picture she had just taken.

Leon glared as he made a grab for it. However, since Namine was so small, she easily maneuvered him. She waved the picture tauntingly as it was developing. He cursed; this is one of the things her shortness comes in handy for.

"You said you wouldn't take a picture you liar!" he shouted as he made another grab, but Namine moved out of the way again causing Leon to fall face flat on the floor of the hallway. Another flash was shown as Namine took another picture that would further embarrass Leon for the rest of his life. The commotion caused Tifa to laugh harder as she watched them.

* * *

After another five minutes or so of laughing and taking blackmail pictures, the three friends settled down and sat on Tifa's sofa. Tifa and Leon sat on the sofa while Namine rolled around on Tifa's carpet grinning. 

"So, how does it feel to be twenty-six?" Namine asked grinning. Tifa chuckled before answering.

"I feel old," Tifa told her. Namine nodded and resumed her rolling.

"Well, I guess you live up to your name right, Old hag?" she asked as she avoided a pillow thrown at her by rolling away.

"I don't feel that old!" Tifa told her. "And why do you still call me that? We're only five years apart," Tifa pointed out to her. Namine just shook her head as she looked at the brunettes upside down from the floor.

"Yes, but it's a term of my endearment for you" Namine replied. "Just like I call Leon 'Squally' all the time," she told her while pointing to the male in the room.

"Are you sure it's not just to get on our nerves?" Leon asked suspiciously. Namine laughed nervously before rolling her way into the kitchen. She rose up from the floor and began rummaging through the cabinets.

"What are you doing?" Tifa asked. Her left eye was twitching when she saw all the stuff flying out of the cabinets.

"I'm looking for cake mix of course," Namine told her as if she just stated the world was indeed round. "It's your birthday, so what do we do? We have cake of course!" she told them still searching for the item.

"I don't have cake mix," Tifa told her. "And don't you have work today?" she asked the blonde. Namine just grinned as Leon shook his head with an amused smile. It was then Tifa knew that Namine had done something.

"What did you do?" she asked the blonde. Namine continued grinning.

"I just told them that it was Robonza," she told Tifa as she shut the cabinets and returned to rolling on the floor in boredom. Tifa looked confused for a moment before her eyes widened in realization.

"You took that from Futurama!" Tifa exclaimed.

"Exactly" Leon and Namine told her. Tifa sweatdropped.

"Okay then" Tifa replied. "So, since you both are free, what are we doing today?" she asked them. Namine got up from the floor and dusted herself off.

"First of all," she started; "We're going to go to the supermarket to buy some cake mix," she told them. "Then we're going to make the best cake for you and party to we're purple!" she cheered.

"And you took the purple line from Spongebob" Leon told her. Namine glared at him.

"Shut up!" Namine told him. They all put on their shoes and exited the door.

_No wonder I had that dream, _Tifa thought, _It's the eleventh anniversary of what happened years ago. I can remember it like it was yesterday… _

_The day I met _him_… _

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(September 26th 1996)

"_Yay! It's finally the weekend!" a brown haired teenager shouted in excitement. She ran straight to her home with a bounce in her step. Today she was going to take Namine and Kairi to the movies because she was done exams and the two had never been to a movie theater before. She couldn't wait to see the look of wonder from Namine when they got there. It would be _priceless

"_Hey, cutie" some guys whistled and did some catcalls as the brunette walked past them. She rolled her eyes and ignored them as her mother had always told her. It was better than Namine's advice anyway. _

"Just beat the crap outta them if they're being a pain in the ass" _the ten-year-old blonde told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. _Definitely_ not taking Namine's advice, that's for sure, she told herself. _

_Suddenly, she felt a grip on her arm. The teen turned to see the same guys who were being annoying. _

"_What's the matter cutie? Let's have some fun," the leader told her. The brunette's eyes widened the size of dinner plates as she realized her situation. _

"_No!" she began struggling as they dragged her to an alley. She wasn't that much of a fighter like most of the people she knew. Heck, she was pretty sure Kairi was a better fighter than her! And the little auburn haired girl never fought in her life since Namine does it for her! _

"_Let me go!" she screeched. She froze when she felt something cold touch her neck. It was the teeth of a switchblade. _

"_Quiet" he told her. "If you wanna live that is," he said smirking. She felt his hands beginning to go up her skirt as tears welled up in her chocolate brown eyes. _

_She was going to be raped… _

_She was going to be raped…_

_SHE WAS GOING TO BE RAPED!!!_

_However, the guy was knocked straight away from her and landed on the concert of the alley. His lip and nose were bleeding badly. _

"_What the hell?" he asked out. A male voice tsked and everyone turned to see a newcomer. The brunette stared at him. _

_Her savior was about fifthteen and quite handsome. His messy red hair was incased in a ponytail reaching his mid back. His clothes were too classy to be from the slums or from middle class. However, they weren't fancy like the regular clothes she saw Uptown people wear. To complete his punk look, he had goggles across his forehead. _

"_Is that anyway to treat a lady?" he asked. The guy growled at the newcomer. _

"_Get outta here punk!" he growled out, "This ain't your business" he told the male. The redhead just shook his head and glared at the guy menacingly. _

"_Yes, but when you hurt an innocent girl, it is my business" he told them and punched the guy straight in the face. Pretty soon, the alley irrupted into a full out brawl. The guy's comrades joined in the fight to avenge their fallen leader. _

_However, the redhead didn't seemed troubled by the unfair numbers. He just punched them all without even breaking a sweat. _

_All throughout the fight, the brunette girl just stared amazed at the red haired male. He was amazing! She wondered who he was. Why did he even help her? _

_The fight was over; all of them were knocked out with only the girl and her savior standing in the ally. It was silent and the girl thought he would just leave her be. However, she was surprised when he slowly, but surely, approached her. He stopped two feet in front of her knowing full well she wouldn't want anyone near her after the experience she just had with a rape attempt on her. _

"_Hey, you doing alright?" the male asked. The girl shook her head as she felt herself shake uncontrollably. _

"_I don't think I'll be for a while" she replied. Looks like she wouldn't be taking Namine and Kairi to the movies tonight. She needed time to cool down and get better. _

"_That's understandable," he said to her. "If you were a slut, you'd be begging that guy to get you laid, but you were scared shitless so you're obviously not" he told her. The girl winced at his choice of words. The only person she knew who foul mouthed as much as this guy was Namine. And Namine's only ten for crying out loud! _

"_Excuse me?" she choked out. The teen seemed to have realized that he might have offended her and began to make amends._

"_Sorry" he said to her ruffling his hair. "It's just that I tend to say stuff without thinking sometimes," he told her. "So, who are you?" he asked curiously. _

"_I don't think it's your business," the girl snapped. _

"_Aw come on, I saved you. The least you can do is give me your name" the guy whined. The girl just stared at him thinking about his request. He _did _save her after all… _

"_Look," he began, "I'll give you my name first so it's fair," he said to her. He then gave her a big grin and held out his hand. _

"_I'm Reno Tatsuki" he introduced himself. _

"_I'm Tifa Lockhart" the girl told him taking his hand and firmly shaking it. _

_That was the day that Tifa Lockhart met Reno Tatsuki… _

* * *

"Ooh! Double chocolate cake!" Namine shouted as she pressed her face and hands against the glass eyeing the sweet treat in excitement. "Hey, Old hag! Let's get chocolate cake!" she shouted over to Tifa. 

However, she didn't receive a reply…

"Old Hag?" asked Namine. She then felt a slight twinge in the back of her mind and growled out knowing full well why the old bat wasn't answering her.

"DIDN'T I REPEATEDLY TELL YOU NOT TO HAVE FLASHBACKS AROUND ME?!" Namine yelled out in frustration as she faced the brunette who seemed to be in a whole other world.

Tifa snapped out her daze as she turned to look at the steaming blonde. Usually, she would laugh at a time like this, but all she did was give Namine a soft smile.

"Right, sorry" she said. Namine felt her eye twitch in irritation. She grabbed the birthday woman by the wrist and pulled her into the dessert store.

"Hey! Wha—"

"You're not allowed to have flashbacks, Old Hag" Namine cut her off. Leon was already inside waiting for them. "Especially on this day" she added quietly but Tifa heard her loud and clear.

_But Namine, _Tifa thought with a sad smile as she let the girl pull her along, _I can't help but remember what happened on this day. _

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(October 12th 1996)

"_Wait, so you're saying that when you sneeze, you're added to a hit list?" a perplexed Reno asked as he looked at her from her bed. They were currently sprawled over Tifa's room. It was late at night but the two didn't seem to notice. _

"_Yeah, funny isn't it?" Tifa laughed out as she remembered what Namine had told her earlier that day, "Namine can be very weird at times. It almost seems as if she's an entire different person than when I first met her," Tifa said smiling as she thought of the blonde. _

"_So you guys are close I guess" Reno said with a slight tint of jealously. It had been a month since he and Tifa had become best friends, but still, Namine always came first. Not that he ever met the kid, but from what Tifa says, she's one blunt smartass midget. _

_Tifa, however, didn't seem to notice Reno's tone as she grinned. _

"_Yep! She can even write! I didn't know about it until recently, but she's really good!" Tifa said as she remembered when she came across Namine's journal. Namine's writing skill was amazing! She was probably good enough to become a novelist! _

"_She tells me that when she grows up, she wants to be a journalist, but I think she would be so much better if she become a novelist" Tifa told them while laying back on her bed. _

"_I think the reason is because I told her I'm going to run a newspaper column when I'm older," Tifa mused out. "Yep! I'm going to open a nice newspaper column called the Seventh Heaven and Namine will be there with me". In fact, she would bet all her allowance that the reason Namine started writing in the first place was so she could be with Tifa. That girl doesn't look like it, but at times, she can act like a baby chick following her mother. _

_It was just so cute! Tifa mused to herself with starry eyes. _

"_Do you have a Namine complex or something?" Reno asked irritably. Tifa looked at him startled. _

"_What do you mean?" she asked slightly hurt. Reno rolled over to her side and glared. _

"_I mean," he began as he traced little circles on her cheek with his index finger. The gesture was intimate. Something best friends didn't do, but Tifa didn't find herself caring nor moving away. "That you always talk about her. Are you obsessed with her?" he asked out. _

"_I don't talk about her _all_ the time" Tifa glared at him. "And besides, she's a great person and very dear to me. How can I not talk about her?" she asked him. She felt his hand stroke her cheek as her cheeks slightly heated up. _

"_It's always 'Namine this' and 'Namine that' with you" he pointed out bluntly. Tifa blushed darker as he moved closer to her. _

"_So?" she asked trying with all her might to remain composed. However, she felt her walls breaking down one by one. _

"_So," he mimicked as his face was an inch away from hers, "I want you to concentrate on something else for a change" Reno told Tifa. _

"_Like what?" she asked. His eyes shined with mischievousness and closed the distance between them. _

"_Me," he replied and joined their lips together in a fiery passionate kiss. Tifa felt Reno change positions from beside her to on top of her. His hands were running up and down her sides as her hands were in tangled in his hair. She moaned in pleasure as it became more intimate. _

_Suddenly, the moment was ruined when Tifa felt Reno's hands go up her shirt. As if realizing what was going on, she broke the kiss and looked at him. _

"_We can't," she told him firmly. Reno didn't move as he looked at her with the same intensity. _

"_You know you want this Tifa" he told her seriously, "Just as much as I want it too," he told her. _

"_But what if—my mom—" _

"_Is not here, remember?" he finished with a grin. "It's just you and me, and it's always gonna be that way, ya here?" he asked. Tifa felt her heart pound in both anticipation and ecstasy as he kissed her again. _

_That was the night Tifa Lockhart gave all of herself to Reno Tatsuki… _

* * *

"Ah-choo!" Namine sneezed out bringing Tifa back to the present. The blonde sniffled and Leon gave her a tissue from his pocket. Namine blew her nose loudly and handed it back to Leon who looked as if that wasn't necessary. 

They were now heading back to the apartment with the cake mix and soda in the plastic bag Leon was carrying. They had decided to make the cake since it always tasted better homemade instead of just buying it. Much to Namine's pleasure, they had gotten chocolate cake mix.

"I've been added to another hit list again," she told them. Leon and Tifa sweatdropped at their friend for her weird logic.

"I thought you sneeze when someone's talking about you," Leon said. Namine shook her head.

"Nope, it's when someone added you to their hit list" she told him. Tifa rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, sure, Namine" she said patting the blonde's head with affection. "Then you must be on a lot of hit lists apparently" Tifa joked.

"You think so too?" Namine asked seriously causing Tifa and Leon to sweatdrop again.

"Well, look who decided to join us" Leon joked. "You were spacing out all the way back to your apartment," he informed the brown haired woman.

"It's about time Old hag," Namine said annoyed. "I've been trying to get to you for ten minutes now! Didn't I already tell you no flashbacks today?" she asked the brunette sternly.

"Okay, I get it" Tifa said as she unlocked her apartment. They immediately unpacked the materials and began to work.

Leon and Namine were arguing something about Kisame from _Naruto _being related to artichokes (A/n: it's a kind of fruit if anyone didn't know) while Tifa was left in her thoughts. She knew she was nearing the end of her memories.

The memory of this very day was very fresh in her mind.

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(November 30th 1996)

_It had been a month since Tifa and Reno had started dating. Tonight was Tifa's birthday and she was planning on visiting Reno as a surprise and spend it with him. They have been a couple for over a month but it was the best month of Tifa's now fifthteen-year-old life. _

_She felt herself bubble with joy, as there was a bounce in her step. She was currently in the Narumi apartment with Namine. Kairi had gone to bed about an hour ago because she was going to a birthday/sleepover party the next day. Mr. Narumi was out buying groceries since he didn't want his daughter Namine to go outside late at night. As for Namine, she had nothing better to do than watch Tifa fidget with excitement and go on about her boyfriend. _

_However, that didn't mean she had to like it. _

"_I can't wait to see the look on his face when I tell him to take me out for dinner," Tifa laughed evilly. Apparently, some of Namine's evilness had rubbed off on her. Namine looked at Tifa in a bored fashion. _

"_Don't you think you're rushing into everything?" she asked causing the older girl to stop jumping around. "I mean, you guys have been friends for almost a month, then become a couple, and then you want to celebrate your birthday after only dating for a month? I don't know Old hag, but it all seems fishy to me," Namien said. If you listened closely, you could detect the worry in her voice. _

"_Oh, Namine" Tifa sighed, "When you're in love, it doesn't matter about time" she told the blonde as she patted her head. "You'll understand someday. Who knows, maybe it will be me in your current spot and you in mine right now" Tifa said ruffling the blonde's short locks. _

_Namine growled and swatted the hand away. She glared at Tifa and replied. _

"_I won't fall in love in love and go crazy over one guy! And I don't think having sex together after a month of friendship wasn't a smart move old hag!" Namine retorted with venom in her voice. She only spoke like that when she wanted someone to listen to her. _

_Tifa blushed a beet red and glared at the blonde who returned her glare with one of her own. _

"_Who told you that?" she whispered out. She never told anyone about that. Namine snorted. _

"_No one needed to" she told the older girl. "I live right next door. I could hear your moaning all the way over there," she stated bluntly causing Tifa's blush to darken even more if possible. _

"_You're lucky that Kairi and my dad were asleep at the time or else he would have to tell your mom," Namine told her. The clock on the wall chimed seven meaning Tifa had to get going. She turned to say goodbye to Namine, but the girl was already heading towards her room with Kairi. _

_Tifa sighed dejected and headed toward the door. She guessed that she would talk to Namine later and tell her she was wrong about Reno. Maybe they can meet one day. Tifa then shook her head thinking of the time when Reno was jealous of Namine and Namine's distrust in Reno. _

_It was best not to give Namine another victim to torture. _

"_Oy, Old hag!" Namine called. Tifa turned around to face the blonde ten-year-old. Namine sighed and looked at her in concern. _

"_Be careful," she told her. Tifa smiled, these were the few rare times when Namine would show she cared. "Because if that moron hurts you, then I can't" Tifa did an anime fall at that statement. _

…_but then again, Namine always has to add a comment after it…_

_

* * *

_

_Tifa approached Reno's house (or should she say mansion?) in Uptown. There were strangely a lot of cars parked outside and there seemed to be colorful lights going on inside. Tifa was very curious. Was there a party going on? _

_Maybe Reno was throwing it for her. Tifa thought this with glee. She straightened up her dress clothes and walked to the house with a big smile on her face. _

_However, when she opened the door, it vanished completely… _

_The place was filled with unknown teenagers and adults older than her. The air reeked of smoke and the colorful lights were blinding. The music pounded in her eyes as she gazed upon people making out on the furniture, people drinking and/or smoking, and people doing inappropriate dancing on the dance floor. _

_Tifa stepped into the house uncertainly. She felt out of place with her nice clean and proper clothes compared to the skimpy punk outfits the others were wearing. _

_Deciding to find Reno and get out of here quick, she headed towards a crowd of college kids chatting away. She attentively tapped on one of the boys' shoulders. He turned around to look down at her. She felt so small when the crowd had turned their attentions to her. _

"_What do you want?" he asked. Tifa looked at him in a determined manner as she took a deep breath. _

"_Have any of you seen Reno?" she asked. They looked at each other for a second before the guy replied. _

"_He should be up in the bedrooms like he usually is" the guy pointed out. "What are you? Another one of his one night stands?" he asked. _

"_Excuse me?" she asked offended. The guy didn't seem to notice her tone and nodded. _

"_Reno's pretty popular amongst the ladies," a girl purred out. "He definitely knows how to give someone a good time" she sighed in pleasure showing that she herself had the experience. Tifa felt as if she was going to be sick. _

_As soon as the crowd went back to their business, Tifa went straight up to the direction of the bedrooms. Her heart was pounding. Her stomach churned. She was praying to God that what they had said wasn't true. _

_Reno had told her he would be with her forever. He told her that he loved her. It couldn't be true! They were lying! That was it! They were lying! _

_Tifa stopped in front of a white door. She heard scuffling inside and opened the door. _

_However, she wished she never did… _

_Reno was there all right. He was there shirtless and currently taking off the unknown girl's bra. Tifa could only watch in horror as the woman moaned in pleasure and Reno was moaning along with her. Tifa felt sobs beginning to rack her body and un ushered tears gathered in her eyes. _

"_R-Reno?" she choked out. She confirmed that it was indeed Reno for he seemed to freeze as soon as she spoke out. He immediately removed his mouth from his partner's and stared wide eyed at Tifa. _

"_T-Tifa?" he stammered. He then looked between his position and Tifa with fearful eyes. "It isn't what you—" _

"_Think?" she finished angrily. She glared at him with hatred as her fists shook clenched at her sides. "Oh? And what do I think, Reno? That I see my boyfriend just having a little fun?" she asked outraged. _

"_More than a little fun" the woman purred out. "He's a blast!" she cried out in ecstasy. _

"_Oh really?" Tifa asked as she felt the tears begin to fall. "Then I'll just leave you to have your blast and never come back!" she screamed. She then turned around ignoring Reno calling after her desperately. Begging her to come back and listen. _

_She didn't want to listen to what he had to say. _

_

* * *

_

_Namine sat on the couch in boredom as she watched Escaflowne on the television. It was about ten in the evening and she was waiting for her father to come home. Unlike Kairi, Namine didn't have any plans on the following day so she didn't need to go to bed for anything. _

_She sighed when she heard rapid banging on the door. Pops must've overdone it with his paycheck with the groceries again, she figured. He wouldn't be knocking if he wasn't overloaded with bags. _

"_Alright, I'm coming" she called and lowered the volume on the slightly fuzzy image on the television. Their cable sucked to normal standards but it wasn't that bad compared to the bigger television problems people had in the slums. Most people didn't even have televisions for pete's sake! _

"_Pops, you really shouldn't overdo it with the groc—Old hag?" Namine exclaimed out concern shined on her face when she saw that it was Tifa at the door instead of her father. She looked to be a mess! And she had tears coming down her face! _

"_Wha—"however, the ten-year-old was interrupted by Tifa throwing her arms around the blonde bringing them both to the floor on their knees. Her sobs racked loudly in the apartment. She was shaking as she clutched Namine tighter. The only other sound in the room was the low television volume. _

"_Let me cry on you" she sobbed out as she held the young girl, "Let me cry on you and let my tears fell on you, please" she begged to her companion._

"_Just this once…" _

"_Huh?" Tifa asked out as Namine spoke for the first time since Tifa had used her as a shoulder of comfort. Namine took a deep breath and repeated. _

"_Just this once… I'm going to be your shoulder to cry on" she told Tifa. Tifa sobbed harder as Namine said that. She would only do this once? Did Tifa mean that little to her? _

"_But from now on, I'm going to be your support pillar" Namine said causing Tifa to look at her in surprise. "I'm going to help you stand just as you do me," she told the brunette. _

"_I'm your supporter Tifa, and that's who I'm always going to be," she told the teen as Namine hugged her back. _

"_From now on, we'll support each other," Namine said as she hugged Tifa tighter. "Just as you help me stand, I'll help you stand. We'll be there for each other no matter what. We won't let the other one cry," Namine explained. _

_Tifa clung to Namine. She clung to Namine as if there was no tomorrow. She nodded rapidly as tears continued to fall from her chocolate eyes. The tears were first for her misfortune. They were for the fact that Reno had lied. That he had used her. That he didn't love her like she had loved him. That she gave everything to him and all she wanted was his heart in return, but she was unsuccessful. _

"_We're supporters," Namine said quietly, but loud enough for Tifa to hear her. "That's our most important job for the rest of our lives. Let's do our best, ne Old Hag?" she whispered. Her response was the arms around her waist tightened as Tifa sobbed on her flat chest. _

_But now, they were tears of joy and contentment for her and Namine… _

* * *

"I'm not saying it again," Namine growled out. "Give. Me. The. Orange. Soda." She drawled out every word threateningly. Leon just smirked and held the precious soda higher out of the short blonde's reach. 

"No can do, midget," he told her simply. "This is what you get for taking those pictures" he waved the orange soda in front of her tauntingly. She gave him a glare and gave a battle cry before tackling him to the floor.

"GIVE ME THAT ORANGE SODA, YOU BASTARD!!!!" she yelled out as pounding insured between the two immature adults.

"Um…" was all Tifa could say. She watched as Namine was kneeling on Leon's face as he held the orange soda away from her reach. However, that didn't stop her from trying thus the reason why her knee was covering his mouth.

How long has she been in that flashback?

Leon then noticed that Tifa decided to join them in the world of the present for he was tapping Namine on the shoulder since her knee was covering his mouth.

"What?" she asked. He pointed towards Tifa and Namine turned to gaze at her. She grinned and got off the suffocating male. The blonde bounced over to her with a big grin on her face.

"Well, it seems that you won't be in flashback mode for the rest of the day" Namine mused out. "So let's gobble down the grub and get drunk off the orange soda!" Namine cheered.

However, before any of them went into Tifa's kitchen, Namine went over to Leon and whacked him upside the head. The orange soda bottle flown out of his hands and into her awaiting ones. She hugged the bottle close to her non-existent chest with a big smile on her face.

"What was that for?!" asked an outraged Leon as Tifa laughed at Namine's display of affection for the orange soda. She acted as if the bottle was her child or something.

"Revenge is a bitch, Squally! Hehe!" Namine laughed evilly and bounced into the kitchen with the orange soda in her hand and Leon grumbling something about evil midgets after her. Tifa looked wary at the blonde and pointed out.

"Namine, I don't think—"

"HOLY SHIT!!!!"

"You should open the bottle after shaking it so hard…" Tifa finished out too late. When the birthday girl entered her kitchen, she nearly died laughing.

There Namine and Leon were, covered in orange soda along with most of her kitchen with the most priceless expressions ever. They seemed to have come out of their stupor for Leon was glaring at Namine who was licking her lips to taste the orange soda.

"Way to go midget, you got us all sticky," Leon said as he crossed his arms glaring at Namine.

"How was I supposed to know it would explode?" she asked with a vein throbbing at her temple.

"It's common sense you moron! You're supposed to be smart!" he shouted.

"At least it's better than being a dumbass!" she shouted back.

"Uh, guys?" Tifa said uncertainly as she watched another soon-to-be brawl. However, it was too late for Leon charged at Namine. Although, due to her shortness, Namine evaded him. He tried again, but she just dodged again.

"Come and get me you cheesehead!" Namine taunted out. Leon had the last straw and charged with all his might…

..Causing Namine to bump into Tifa who went face flat into the cake…

"Uh-oh" Leon and Namine said at the same time. Tifa rose from the cake with a chocolate covered face. Namine and Leon each gave her a sheepish smile of apology.

There response was cake thrown in their faces.

"Oh, this is war" Leon said.

"Declare war on the Old hag!" Namine shouted and threw cake at the woman.

Thus, began the Cake Revolution…

Tifa laughed joyfully as she evaded a chocolate blob by Leon and thrown one of her own. Namine had pegged her successfully with cake as she stood on Tifa's couch. Tifa smiled as the war continued on.

"_We're supporters," Namine said quietly, but loud enough for Tifa to hear her. "That's our most important job for the rest of our lives. Let's do our best, ne Old Hag?" she whispered. Her response was the arms around her waist tightened as Tifa sobbed on her flat chest. _

Tifa's smile grew bigger as she remembered that day. True to Namine's word, each of them had done their part in being each other's support. It was because of that that they were still able to go on and be who they are today.

_I didn't believe you at first Namine, _Tifa thought in apology, _but you kept you promise to me all these years, never once failing to make me happy. _

_You're my supporter, Namine, and I wouldn't have anyone else… _

**

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**Karin-chin: there you have it! The long awaited chapter of ****Love at First Write****! Congrats to all for being here from the beginning and now as ****Love at First Write**** is the first of my stories to hit the tenth chapter! **

**Sora: **_**(sniffles) **_**oh happy day! **

**Roxas: **_**(reads over the chapter) **_**we weren't even in here! **

**Karin-chin: You were mentioned**

**Riku: barely **

**Karin-chin: well, this story isn't always about you. For it to be a good story, it has to have some chapters with Namine and other people. I would leave so many questions if I didn't do that! So there you have it! the story behind Tifa and Reno! Hope you all enjoyed!**

**Demyx: to be a good writer, you can't leave the readers guessing about certain things so you have to fill in some holes apparently. **

**Axel: that doesn't mean that we still have to like it! **

**Karin-chin: Okay, okay! Enough! Now, normally I give you guys a preview on the next chapter; however, instead I'm going to be giving you a sneak peak on my other Namine-centric story that is now updated, but none of you guys seemed to be reading it. Or you guys don't know about it. Either way, it's another Namine story and I think you will like it if you like this one. It's called ****Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game**

**Preview for chapter one of **_**Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game**_

"_Are you really going to work, Nee-chan?" Denzel asked suspiciously. He knew that no one was recently fired from her job. After all, when he's done with school for the day, he goes to her job to hang out and do homework while waiting for her at the bar she works at. _

"_Alright, what will it take for you to not tell mom I lied?" the blonde whispered. The little boy knew her more than anyone did and he could tell she was lying. Denzel grinned and replied. _

"_You have to help me with my project after school," he told her. The blonde groaned, but she smiled and ruffled his hair. _

**End of Preview for **_**Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game**_

**Karin-chin: I'm pretty sure you guys will like it. Please read it and review. I would really appreciate it if you did. Anyway, see you next time and review on the way out! **

**Remember that **_**non-users**_** can now review my stories as well. I would like to get reviews from the **_**non-users**_** too please! **

**See ya next time! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**


	11. Namine Narumi: The Painter

**Karin-chin: Nyah! Another chapter coming up! **

**Roxas: Well, at least you're updating now**

**Axel: Yeah, you have really big issues on being lazy**

**Karin-chin: Not true! **

**Riku: Then what were you doing? **

**Sora: She was working on some other stories**

**Demyx: Yeah, like her first Namixas chapter story called ****"When the Insane Midget Met the Cocky Bastard"**** which by the way is now up if anyone wants to read it. **

**Karin-chin: Yeah! So stop being mean to me! Oh, and I have a question for you readers out there. Do you guys think I should change the genres of ****Love at First Write**** from Romance/Drama to Drama/Humor? The plot won't be changed, but I think this story might fit better into the Drama/Humor instead of Drama/Romance. Also, I actually read the whole story the other day and I think I might have to change the rating to M from T, so do you think I should also change the rating as well? **

**Demyx: Well, that's just about it**

**Sora: Yup! Author-chan apologizes to all the readers for not updating in a while and she hopes you enjoy this chapter**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts or the song "Build me up Buttercup"

"Talking"

_thinking/flashbacks/song lyrics_

normal text

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**Replies to the Reviewers from Chapter Ten:**

_**xxxKingdom-Hearts-Fanxx**_**—**I'm glad you like the story so far. And yes, the boys will be in this chapter.

_**X-The Random Vampire-X**_**—**Thanks for agreeing with me in the last chapter. I'm so happy that I'm not making people mad by not always doing romance.

_**Iaveina**_**—**I'm happy that you like the story so far. I hope you continue to like it.

_**Chained Memories**_**—**That's a shame you can't update your stories even if you're only in one grade under me. But if it helps, I can say that typing a little during the week and on weekends might help if you have time on the computer. Or if there's not any fanfictions catching your eye, you can probably type instead. You don't have to type the chapter in one day. Also, I like how you abbreviated the names of the guys. It gets so trying at times to type all their names in the author's note. (A.D.R.S.R: Hey! Not nice!)

_**Yuleen75**_**—**Thanks for the congrats. I'm proud of myself as well. And yes, I agree with you that Reno is indeed a . I'm also happy that you think Namine is a good friend. By the way, it's okay if you don't want to read my other fanfiction because it's angst, but maybe you would like my other one that's Romance/Drama with Namine and Roxas (See author's notes for title).

_**Mooncry**_**--**YES! Someone who agrees with me on cake wars and exploding orange sodas! You know, I actually had a cake war before. It was really fun. Thanks for reviewing so far and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

_**The shizzle**_**—**It's great that you like it. To be honest, I'm actually insecure on my writing skills so your compliment really made my day.

_**Kingdom hearts fan**_**—**I'm so happy you're enjoying it. Touching and funny at the same time, huh? I've never gotten a compliment like that before. Thank you very much. Oh, and I'm glad you like everyone's personalities.

_**Lebrezie**_**—**Yes, I have noticed that I make Namine a midget and flat chested in all my stories. I just think that's funny. Plus, she's not perfect so it's hilarious and sweet that people can like her for who she is and not for her looks. However, I see where you're coming from so I've decided to take some of your advice in my other stories and vary Namine a bit in other stories. I thank you for reviewing all my Namine stories and I'm glad you like them. Also, I really appreciate your long reviews. It makes me smile on what you have to say and makes my day. I'm often insecure of my writing skills, especially in school.

**

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**Recap: **

_I didn't believe you at first Namine, _Tifa thought in apology, _but you kept your promise to me all these years, never once failing to make me happy._

_You're my supporter Namine, and I wouldn't have anyone else. _

**End of Recap:**

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**Namine Narumi—The Painter**

"Man, it's like there's rocks in here instead of paint!" Namine Narumi groaned out as she dropped the four cans of paint ungracefully on the, now covered over with a white tarp, carpet. She wiped the sweat off her forehead from the long hot walk from the hardware store to her apartment carrying four cans of beige paint. For it being December, it was really hot and sunny today.

_Blame it on global warming, _Namine thought irritably with a low growl escaping her lips. If people learn to take care of the planet more, they wouldn't have the problem of the heat! But of course, no one listens to her so everyone naturally pollutes more and more and still complains about it.

"What a load of bull" Namine muttered as she opened the glass doors of her small apartment so the fresh air and sunlight can come in without blockage. Her furniture was moved out into the hall and Moogle was with Olette today so she could have the freedom to paint her apartment without trouble.

Yes, Namine Narumi was painting her apartment today. It was a Saturday afternoon on the 4th of December. She wore her dad's old white t-shirt and some baggy blue overalls for painting in. Her short hair was bound in the usual low ponytail and her glasses were still in place with the addition of her father's old white baseball cap he owned when he was a child. On her feet were her white sneakers so her feet would stay protected from paint and whatnot.

Now personally, the blonde didn't think she needed to paint her apartment. However, others strongly protested otherwise. Three guesses who.

"I still don't know what the big deal is" Namine muttered as she got the ladder and her materials ready. "It isn't _that _bad"

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(Yesterday morning)

_Namine Narumi slept soundly in her couch bed with Moogle beside her. She had a rough day with cleaning the mansion yesterday and she was wiped out. Nevertheless, God still likes to bring this young woman misery and embarrassment for he had allowed _them _into her apartment. _

"_It's too small," _

"_She doesn't even have a bed" _

"_Is this the normal size of a commoner's bathroom?" _

"_There's not even a dividing wall between the living room and the kitchen" _

_Namine furrowed her eyebrows as the voices continued. She buried herself deeper into the covers of the blankets as she tried in vain to block them out. She didn't need to hear _them_ in her dreams as well. _

"_Is that a...cat?" _

"_Looks more like a giant cheese ball to me" _

"_Nami-chan is so adorable when she's sleeping" _

_Wait—was she really dreaming? _

_Praying to God that she was just imaging things, Namine cracked a blue eye open to not see the empty one room with a small bathroom apartment, but HER FIVE NOSY BOSSES!!!_

"_WHAT THE HELL?!" Namine screamed out as she sprang up standing on her bed and pointed a finger at them. "What the hell are you guys doing here in my apartment?!" she exclaimed outraged and surprised. _

_The five males were indeed in her apartment. They looked at her nonchalantly as if she wasn't going to kill them in about ten seconds if they didn't provide an answer soon. Riku was the first to speak. _

"_It's about noon," he told her pointing to the clock. "Since you did not show up panting in the dinning hall as you usually do—"_

"_We wanted to see you Nami-chan!" Demyx cut him off and jumped onto her bed causing her to fall flat on her back on the springy mattress. _

"_Oof!" Namine let out as she landed on her back. Demyx had done a very powerful jump on her mattress, she felt it almost break from the force. She sat up and rubbed her back from the force of impact as she glared at them. _

"_Well, usually you give me a wake up call, and I know I don't sleep through phone calls" Namine told them fiercely with her eyes—absent of glasses—shining with blue fire. Her hair was in disarray as well as her blue tank top and green sweatpants. _

_In other words, she was a major turn on. _

_Roxas coughed as he stared at her. He looked to the corner of his eye and saw that the other males were looking at her with lust in their eyes as well. _

"_Phone didn't work" Riku replied smoothly. Namine's eye twitched. Something in her mind was telling her that that wasn't the reason why she didn't get a wake up call. _

"_Whatever" Namine sighed out as she rose from her bed. She walked over to the cabinets in the mini kitchen and dug inside for the cereal box with the males' eyes on her back the entire time. _

_She retrieved a bowl from the other cabinet with the plates and cups in it and poured herself some Captain Crunch with the berries. Moogle, now fully awake, sat by his cat bowl and meowed for his master. Namine complied by getting milk and pouring it into his bowl then hers and putting the carton away. Namine patted Moogle and then got herself a spoon. She leaned against the counter looking at them while munching on her cereal. The munching was the only thing heard in the apartment. _

_Sora cleared his throat as he took around look around her apartment mentally cringing. _

"_So, this is where you live" Sora ventured out as he looked at her. Namine nodded with a grin as she continued munching on the cereal. _

"_Yup! I've been here for about three years. Squally is the landlord here and the Old hag lives on a different floor so it's really awesome living here" she told them. Her grin grew wider as another thought came to her. "Oh, and Olette also lives here next door!" she told them cheerfully. _

"_Yeah…that's good," Sora told her with a unsure smile. The awkward silence continued between them as Namine bit into her cereal again. She noticed that they seemed to be thinking about something for her eyes looked at them suspiciously and with…concern? _

"_You guys okay?" she asked. They all looked away from her with some guilt and shyness in their posture. This caused Namine to raise an eyebrow. Something _must_ be wrong if they weren't their bastard selves. She placed down her bowl of cereal and walked towards despite not having her glasses on. _

_She stopped in front of them and squinted to get a good look at them, as if she was trying to read them. With a sigh, she gave up and asked them with unmasked concern. _

"_Did something happen?" _

"_Relax little lady" Axel told her after a few seconds of silence. He put on a grin as he circled his arm around her shoulders. "We just dropped by to say hello," he told her. _

_Namine nodded in understanding. That seemed reasonable. _

"_Well, you could've called or something" she told them. "I would've woken up and headed over" she told them and once again resumed eating her cereal and passed the box to them with bowls as one by one took a seat at the small table or leaned against the counter like Namine. _

_Sora's eyes drifted to the answering machine. It was blinking meaning it did have messages for Namine. _

_All from them. _

_He pressed the erase button knowing that she didn't need to hear their worried voices on the other line. _

_It seemed Namine _could_ sleep through calls. _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback _(Present time)

"Dammit!" Namine yelled as she tried in vain to open the paint can with a screwdriver. Why did they have to seal the thing so tight anyway?

With a sigh of frustration, Namine banged on the paint can with her fist and it popped open. With a grin of satisfaction, she got the painting pan and poured some paint into the pan while her thoughts wondered to this morning.

She didn't think that her bosses drop by was just to say hello. They seemed edgy and unsure about something. She also noticed their eyes looked as if they were worried over something but it vanished when they looked at her.

And when they looked around her apartment, they looked… guilty. She didn't know what they had to feel guilty about. She liked it here and she had no qualms about being on the low end of the money chain.

However, she didn't think they got the message. Or perhaps they didn't know people lived like this. Perhaps, like Kairi, they were in ignorance as well on what others' lifestyles were like.

"It feels strange to think of them like this," she muttered as she turned the dial on the old radio. Despite its age, it was a good radio that picked up some good stations. Finding the station she wanted, she picked up her paintbrush and got to work. "I mean, when I first met them two months ago, I wanted nothing to do with them, but now…"

Now she what? Was concerned for them? Considered them as companions? Cared for them?

Namine shook her head to rid these thoughts. Now wasn't the time to think about that. Besides, it was their fault she was doing this!

Her head steamed as she thought of what happened next.

_

* * *

_

_Flashback _(Noon, Yesterday)

"_Your apartment needs a paintjob, moron" Roxas stated as he took another bite of his cereal. Namine glared at him and flicked his forehead with her used spoon. "That's gross!" he exclaimed and washed his forehead with the water from her faucet. She just stuck her tongue at him then laughed openly. _

_However, her laughing was cut short when his spoon with already chewed cereal found its way into her mouth. Her blue eyes widened as Roxas smirked at her, as he was the one to stick the spoon in her mouth. _

_She spat out the cereal in his bowl and raced to the faucet washing out "Roxas germs" as she called them. The others laughed, but they were boiling with jealously that Roxas gave Namine an indirect kiss while he got back at her at the same time. _

_Roxas seemed to have gotten the drift of their glares for he just grinned at them in satisfaction. _

"_Besides, what's wrong with my apartment anyway?" she asked them glaring. _

"_It needs to be painted" they all stated in unison. Namine sweatdropped. _

"_How so?" she asked them. _

"_The paint's so old it's coming off! And other places it looks like it's turning brown" Axel told her. _

"_It says in the history of your apartment that the last time it's been painted was when your friend Squall Lionhart came in possession of it, which was six years ago" Riku read from a black notebook that came out of nowhere. "And apparently with some low priced and low quality paint" Riku added and shut the book with a snap. _

"_You mean the paint was cheap and sucky" Roxas told him. Sora nodded in agreement. _

"_I…see…" Namine muttered out with a huge sweatdrop on the back of her head. _

"_So, we'll schedule a professional painter to paint your apartment tomorrow" Riku stated as he began dialing the number on his cell phone. Namine's eyes nearly bugged out as she reached over the table and shut the phone rapidly. Who knew how much that would come out of her paycheck! _

"_I'll do it myself!" she told them. "I've painted before, this will be no prob!" she told them grinning while laughing nervously hoping they would take her excuse from not getting a professional. She would never be able to pay for that in her lifetime! _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback _(Present time)

A knock sounded at Namine's front door. She climbed down from the ladder and dusted off her hands, but it only resulted in her getting wet paint on her overalls.

"Coming!" she yelled out and headed for the door giving up on wiping her hands of paint. She grasped the knob and opened the door to find, to her surprise, her bosses standing there with their usual designer clothes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked them curiously. They just walked past her and stood looking around the room. When they were finished, they turned to her as if they were unsure on what to do. Namine raised an eyebrow and asked "What?"

"What do we do?" they asked her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked them.

"We're helping you paint" Sora told her. To show his point, he held up a can of white paint for the ceiling. The others nodded and did the same. "You know, since we were the ones who made you do this, we wanted to help out" he explained to Namine who was just staring at them.

Suddenly, she burst out in laughter and fell back on the covered floor. They all stared at her confused as she laughed.

"I'm sorry" she apologized still chuckling a little. "It's just that, I didn't expect that a bunch of rich guys would want to help me paint my apartment, especially my bosses" she let out another chuckle.

"No, Namine, you're wrong" Riku said. Namine stopped her chuckling and looked at them shocked.

"We're not your bosses, Nami-chan," Demyx told her.

"We're your friends" Sora finished as he ruffled her cap causing its backwards position to become forward. She fixed it and looked at them with surprise.

"Yeah, and friends help each other out, you know" Axel told her.

"And they spend time together making memories" Roxas finished.

It was a moment of silence between them, but this one wasn't awkward, neither was it comfortable.

They weren't expecting Namine to cry and hug them. They weren't expecting Namine to cheer that she was friends with rich people. No, they weren't expecting any of that because that wasn't Namine.

Instead, Namine just grinned at them and shook her head as if everything was hopeless, but still her grin didn't leave her.

"If you're going to help, you need better clothes than those rich duds," she told them grinning.

_That_ was their Namine.

* * *

"These clothes feel weird," Axel said to himself. Namine heard him though and smiled. 

"That's because you're so used to designer clothes instead of Squally's old ones," she told him bluntly.

Indeed, all of the males were wearing Leon's old clothes. Axel was wearing black jeans with a green sleeveless shirt showing his muscles. His hair was pulled into a ponytail to not risk paint getting in it (A/n: Picture his hairstyle like Renji's from _Bleach_) and he wore old black combat boots.

Riku was dressed from his usual sophisticated clothes to a white t-shirt that fit his lean muscles and blue jeans. His long hair was in a low ponytail and his classy black shoes were gone to replace with white running sneakers.

Unlike the fitting shirts for Axel and Riku, Demyx had a baggy light blue t-shirt and baggy black shorts reaching to his knees. His feet were covered by black male sandals.

Roxas was also black shorts, but his grey t-shirt wasn't as baggy as Demyx's. Instead of sandals, he wore blue and black sneakers.

Sora wore a navy baggy t-shirt and jean shorts the same length as Demyx's and Roxas's. On top of his head was a navy baseball cap wore backwards like Namine. He, like Roxas, wore navy and white sneakers.

Now, if any girl saw these handsome men wearing these clothes, they would probably faint or squeal in excitement. But since Namine isn't just any girl, she was not affected by five hot guys in front of her.

"Alright men" she spoke as if she was a general going into battle, "Our mission is to paint this apartment and make it look brand new. If we fail to do that then we are not worthy of dinner, is that clear?" she asked them.

"Yes sir!" they exclaimed. A few seconds passed and then they added uncertainly, "erm… ma'am…"

"Alright! Let's go!" Namine exclaimed and all of the troops went to their work on painting Namine's apartment.

* * *

They have been having fun. In fact, the five males doubted they had fun like this before in their lives. Who knew working on a simple house chore could be a blast. 

The men had to admit, at first they weren't comfortable with Namien and her lifestyle, but soon they became adapted to her apartment as if they were commoners…no, real people themselves…

Yesterday, when they didn't get her to pick up the phone, they were worried something might've happened to her. So naturally, they went against Namine's wishes to stay away from her apartment and raced down there without even considering getting a limo to drive them.

When they got there and saw her sound asleep, they were relieved that she was all right, but then they saw her apartment and took it in for the first time. It was smaller than her father's, they noted. It also looked to be in worse shape than her father's with a broken coffee table, no dividing wall to the kitchen, small bathroom with the mirror cracked. Heck, she didn't even have a real bed!

They felt guilty even more so as they looked at her lifestyle and theirs. Again, the feeling of making her feel inferior like on Thanksgiving came back to them at full force. They can't help but think that she hated them for their differences in lifestyle even if she didn't show it.

But the way she showed concern for them. Made them feel welcome. Treating them like people and not kings for the first time. That is what they wanted more than anything, and they could clearly see that with Namine, they had gotten all those things without having to buy it, but work for it like any other person.

They know now, that Namine would never treat them like kings. She would never mooch off them and brag about them as if they were objects like their fellow rich people and parents did.

Namine did not hate them, they knew. She seemed to have gotten used to them no matter how hard she tries to hide it. They could see that they made her happy as she did them. Whatever had made her hate rich folk had noth8ing to do with them, they knew now, but that doesn't mean that they won't stop trying to make her happy.

After all, she was the most precious thing to them now.

* * *

"I love this song!" Namine exclaimed as she heard the familiar music on the 101.1 station. This was the first song she had ever heard on the radio. It was the first song she danced with her father to when he was out of depression. It was the first song she learned to sing to Kairi as a lullaby. It was so many things to her that made her remember the happy memories in life. 

A big grin broke out on her face, as it was indeed her favorite of all time song. Without realizing that she had started, her lips had formed the words and her voice sang.

_Why do you build me up buttercup (build me up) buttercup, baby_

_Just let me down (let me down) and mess me around_

_And worse of all (worse of all) you never call, baby_

_When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still_

_I need you (I need you) more than anyone darlin' _

_You know that I have from the start_

_So build me up (build me up) buttercup, don't break my heart_

Namine grinned as she ignored the others giving her stares. She just continued her painting on the ceiling as she stood on her tiptoes on the ladder.

"_I'll be over at ten," you told me time and again_

_But you're late, I wait and then (bah dah dah) _

_I run to the door, I can't take anymore_

_It's not you, you let me down again_

"Ah!" Namine exclaimed as she fell from the ladder, but Axel caught her. She grinned sheepishly as he just grinned in mischief. Without warning, the redhead threw her up into the air as the song continued with him joining in.

_(Hey, hey, hey!) Baby, baby, try to find  
(Hey, hey, hey!) A little time, and I'll make you happy  
(Hey, hey, hey!) I'll be home  
I'll be beside the phone waiting for you  
Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-ooo_

"Higher this time Axel," Namine told him. Having ditched the ladder, the two have decided to throw Namine up in the air and while she was in the air, she would throw paint on the ceiling and smooth it out with the brush (A/n: People, don't ever try that)

"I wanna sing and throw Nami-chan too!" whined Demyx. Axel tossed the small girl to Demyx and the duo now turned into a trio as they had done before when Namine was sick. "Too bad that doc ain't here with us" he said and threw Namine up in the air.

_Why do you build me up buttercup (build me up) buttercup, baby_

_Just let me down (let me down) and mess me around_

_And worse of all (worse of all) you never call, baby_

_When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still_

_I need you (I need you) more than anyone darlin' _

_You know that I have from the start_

_So build me up (build me up) buttercup, don't break my heart_

"I thought we told you guys not to mention that day!" Roxas yelled at them as he watched wary as they threw the blonde into the air. If she dropped on the floor, those two were dead!

"Aw, quick pouting Roxy!" Demyx told him causing the blonde male to glare at him menacingly at the mention of his old nickname from when they were teens. "It's not our fault you can't sing," he told the steaming male.

"Nor can he throw Namine in the air. After all, he's not as strong as us" Axel joined in grinning. After all, they both knew what it took to tease the blonde male since they knew him the longest. And it was just so much fun to see him steam!

"Roxy?" Namine inquired laughing. Roxas glared at her.

"Even Nami-chan thinks you're a dork" Demyx pointed out grinning. Roxas's aura was almost as deadly as Namine's when she was mad, and that was a big feat. "Don't be jealous Roxy, it's not our fault you don't have the guts to hold Nami-chan" both males broke into laughter with Namine laughing along with them despite not getting what they were talking about.

"Give. Her. Here" Roxas said deathly. Demyx didn't seem bothered by it for he and Axel were hoping for him to say that. He gently, but surely, tossed the blonde—who let out a squeal of surprise—to Roxas, who caught her with ease.

It felt strange being held by Roxas, but it wasn't unwelcome. Unlike Demyx and Axel's holds that were playful and made her laugh, Roxas's made her fell secure and safe. He gave her a sheepish grin and then tossed her in the air as the four now continued the song.

_You were my toy but I could be the boy you adore  
If you'd just let me know (bah dah dah)  
Although you're untrue, I'm attracted to you all the more  
Why do I need you so_

"Having fun Namine?" asked Sora who observed the girl's happiness with a grin. He was glad she was happy. It made him happy. Suddenly, he had the urge to join in with them. He wanted to see Namine smile at him as she smiled at the three who were already playing with her.

"Yup!" she replied. However, when she landed in Axel's arms, she saw Sora looking at her with a look of contentment and happiness. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew that he wanted to be apart of their game as well. He wanted to be with them.

"Toss me to Sora" she whispered to Axel. He nodded and tossed her to the brunette of the group. Despite being caught off guard, he caught her. It was a different feeling when being held by Sora. Demyx made her feel as if she was beautiful, Axel made her feel as if she would never cry again, Roxas made her feel safe.

Sora made her feel loved.

"Here we go!" Sora said grinning and tossed her up. Thus, the circle got bigger.

_(Hey, hey, hey!) Baby, baby, try to find  
(Hey, hey, hey!) A little time and I'll make you happy  
(Hey, hey, hey!) I'll be home  
I'll be beside the phone waiting for you  
Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-ooo_

"You guys are so immature," Riku told them, but Namine could see right through him. She furrowed her brows as she was held in Sora's arms again.

"Stop being such a sourpuss and play with us, Riku" she told him "Let down the walls once in a while, we won't hurt you" she told him smiling. Riku looked at her shocked. Only Sora, his best friend, knew how to read him.

Sora grinned seeing the shocked expression on the usually impassive Riku. Seeing his chance, he whispered to Namine before that chance passed.

"You're going to Riku now"

She nodded and there she went into Riku's arms. He caught her like the others. She grinned at him and motioned for him to toss her up.

For the first time, Riku gave her a soft smile. Demyx made her beautiful, Axel made her happy, Roxas made her safe, and Sora made her loved.

With Riku, she felt strong.

And with that thought in her head, she was thrown into the air again. They were making progress on the ceiling. It was just about done and they still kept going. None of them dropped her. They would never drop her, she realized. Call it a feeling, but she felt—with all of them—like the luckiest person in the world. She felt as if she could be herself and none of them would ever hate her for who she was. Where she came from, or how unperfected she was to this world.

_Why do you build me up (build me up) Buttercup, baby  
Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around  
And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby  
When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still  
I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin'  
You know that I have from the start  
So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don't break my heart _

I-I-I need you-oo-oo more than anyone, baby  
You know that I have from the start  
So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don't break my heart

"Namine?" asked a voice. Namine, while in the air, looked over to the doorway and her eyes widened. Due to her change in position in the air, she dropped to the floor with an ungraceful thud. The five males crowded around her with worry, but she ignored them for her eyes were straight on the doorway, or rather, the person at the doorway.

"Seifer?!"

**

* * *

**

**Karin-chin: I really got to stop typing chapters when I listen to songs. I usually putting a song in there. Woah! Looks like things are hearting up! **

**Roxas: What's **_**Seifer **_**doing here?! **

**Axel: And why does Namine know him?!  
**

**Karin-chin: I'm not telling! That will just spoil it! **

**Sora, Demyx, Riku, Roxas, and Axel: You're so evil!**

**Karin-chin: Anyway, please review on the way out. I hope you enjoyed the chapter**

**Tune in next chapter for ****Love at First Write**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**

**P.S- If any of you forgotten my questions on whether I should change the genre and rating in the beginning author's notes for this chapter please read the beginning author notes again before reviewing. **


	12. Namine Narumi: The Friend

**Karin-chin: Okay, I have nothing to do so I'm updating**

**Roxas: That was fast**

**Sora: Maybe it's because of the reviews **

**Demyx: and the fact that everyone is mad at her for putting a cliffhanger **

**Roxas: Told ya no one would like Seifer**

**Karin-chin: Who says I like him? I'm just doing this for the plot**

**Axel: I thought you were doing this to make us jealous **

**Karin-chin: That too**

**Riku: Well, let's get on with it**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts

**

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**

**Replies to Reviewers from Chapter 11:**

_**Mooncry**_**—**What the hell indeed. But you'll just have to see what happens in this chapter

_**KingdomHeartsLuver**_**—**Thanks for not pressuring me on updating. Thanks for complimenting on how my story is like an anime. That made me smile.

_**Iaveina**_**—**I have changed the genre. Thanks for agreeing with me on it. There will still be romance but I just think that the story is more on the Drama/Humor side if anyone else besides me thinks it's funny.

_**Yuleen75**_**—**For now I'm just changing the genre, but I'm probably going to change the rating soon too, but if I do change it, there's no lemons in this story. I would probably be blushing the whole time if I did a lemon, which I'm not doing. In addition, I hope this fast update will not make you mad at me anymore for the cliffhanger.

_**Lebrezie**_**—**I know you didn't get this far in my story yet, but I just want to say thanks so far for reviewing and I'm sorry if there were too much Sora/Namine and not enough Roxas/Namine. Hopefully, Chapter nine made you feel better.

_**xxxKingdom-Hearts-Fanxx**_**—**Yes, I thought the moment was so cute too. However, I couldn't resist the plot twist. I'm sorry, but I'm trying to make it interesting.

**

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**Recap:**

"_Namine?" asked a voice. Namine, while in the air, looked over to the doorway and her eyes widened. Due to her change in position in the air, she dropped to the floor with an ungraceful thud. The five males crowded around her with worry, but she ignored them for her eyes were straight on the doorway, or rather, the person at the doorway. _

"_Seifer?!" _

**End of Recap:**

**

* * *

**

**Namine Narumi- The Friend**

"Oh. My. GOD!!!" Namine shouted out as she embraced the newcomer. He immediately hugged her back and spun them around from the force of impact. When he put her down, Namine was greeted with the grinning face of the newcomer.

"Hey there Namine, haven't seen you in what? Six years? Seven?" the newcomer asked. He was about 5'8 with yellow blonde hair covered by a hat and aqua green eyes. He looked to be about twenty-three and his appearance told them that he did some heavy weight lifting. He wore a tight muscle blue t-shirt and brown jeans with black sneakers.

"Hmm, I guess it's been seven" Namine replied with a thoughtful expression. It then turned back into a grin as she looked at him again. "Man, you got so fricken huge Seifer! You in the navy or something now?" she asked.

"Something like that" he told her as he ruffled her cap. "But it's really good to see you Mine, I missed you so much"

"Yeah, I missed you too Sei!" Namine grinned at him using his old nickname. It felt good seeing him again. The last time she ever saw Seifer was about seven years ago. He was one of her closest friends and was often with her when Tifa couldn't be during her teenage years.

"Who are these guys?" asked Seifer as he noticed her guests for the first time. The guests that were steaming on the inside on how this guy was so familiar with Namine.

"Oh right!" Namine said as she slapped her forehead because of her stupidness. "Seifer, these are my bosses—I mean, friends: Roxas, Axel, Demyx, Sora, and Riku!" she introduced them one by one. She then turned her attention to her guests and pointed to Seifer with a happy smile. "Guys, this is Seifer! I've known him since I was fourteen years old! He was a lot of help back then" she told them smiling.

However, her smile seemed to have flown off her face when she felt the cold aura in the room. Instead of her bosses and old friend greeting each other, they seemed to be… glaring. And was it just her or was there static electricity flying between them as the glares intensified.

_Eh? Is the electricity going on the frits again?_

* * *

How dare this man come in and barge into their time with Namine! Who did this guy think he was? He was gone for seven years and he waltzes back into Namine's life expecting to have things all honky dory? 

The five men steamed when they watched Namine hug him with a smile on her face, a smile only meant for _them_. They saw how the man looked at her, as if she belonged to him or something!

It seemed the guy was thinking the same thing for he was glaring at them in jealously and hatred as well. He was challenging them. Daring them to come within two feet of _his _property. Well, they had news for this guy, Namine was _theirs_!

Still, it peeved them on what Namine's thoughts on this guy might be. She said that he helped her through her teenage years. Was he a past boyfriend? Were they still dating? Did they want to start dating? All these thoughts just made the five males growl in resentment.

And what's worse is that this guy could know more about the blonde woman than they all did put together! Maybe he even knew why she hated rich people in the first place. Maybe he knew Namine like the back of his hand.

As of now, Seifer was on their hit list.

* * *

"_Ah-choo!_" Seifer sounded out. Namine turned to her friend with a serious look. 

"Seifer, did you get added to _another_ hit list?" she asked him with her hands on her hips.

"Still have your crazy logic don't you, Mine?" he asked as he patted her head. She growled out in annoyance and bonked his head. An anger mark present on her head.

"Stop. Calling. Me. That!" she told him stressing every word. She cursed that nickname down to the deepest pits of Hell.

"Aw come on, I've been gone for seven years and this is how you treat me?" Seifer pouted. Namine glared at him and angrily poked his chest as the other occupants watched in interest and satisfaction that the new guy was getting yelled at by their object of affection.

"Well, you wouldn't had gone away in the first place if…" she stopped dead as she had realized that they were not alone in the room and that this conversation needed to be private. "Nevermind…" she finished dully.

"That's more like it…" Seifer smirked playfully and patted her head causing the males to glare at him. Only _they _could pat the woman on the head dammit!

"Now since I'm back, why don't we go out to dinner to celebrate? Just you and me" Seifer proposed to the short woman. Namine looked at him uncertainly before replying.

"I don't know Seifer. I have to get Moogle from Olette soon and plus, I have guests" she told him and pointed her thumb in her bosses direction. "Can't leave 'em hanging, ya know?" she said.

"I'm pretty sure they're just leaving" Seifer told as he waved a hand nonchalantly in their direction. The other male occupants glared at him. They were right there you know! No need to talk about them as if they weren't there.

"Actually, we were joining Namine for dinner" Riku told him smoothly. "But if you would like to join us then you're welcome to come" he gave the man a smile of welcoming but the other males knew it was his smile of evil. It made them shudder just looking at it.

_Why do I get this strange feeling as if Riku was the real life Kyouya Ohtori from Ouran High School Host Club? _Namine thought as she looked at Riku. She vowed _never_ to get on his bad side.

Seifer didn't seem pleased, but if that was the only way for him to be with Namine, then he would have to put up with these guys unfortunately. With a sigh, he turned to the woman awaiting his answer.

"Sure, why not?" he said as if it didn't matter to him, but in reality, it mattered everything to him. They were coming in on _his_ territory and he doesn't take that kindly.

"Okay! Onward to the eating establishment!" Namine cheered and marched out the door not bothering to clean herself up from painting all day, which caused the males to smile at the fact that she didn't even bother to change her clothes. When she had exited the room, all smiles were gone as the five rich males and the one punk male glared at each other.

War had been declared.

* * *

"YAY! FUU!!" Namine exclaimed when she entered the Nifty Fifties—with all six males behind her—and tackled the unsuspecting Fuu while she was taking an order. 

"What the—Namine?! I thought I told you to stop glomping me!" was Fuu's reply as she tried in vain to pry the midget off her.

"But Fuu! I just love you so much I can't bear to stay away!" Namine whined and held tighter. The two females had everyone's attention in the homey restaurant now.

"Yes Namine, of course I can't stay away from you either" Fuu replied as she patted the younger girl's head deciding to humor her.

"Does that mean you're my lesbian lover?" Namine teased to the older girl. Fuu blushed in embarrassment as the males with Namine chocked on air in surprise. Was Namine a…?

"Don't be stupid" Fuu told her as she softly whacked the girl's head. "You know I'm perfectly straight, but I'm still not sure about you since you're a major tomboy," she told the blonde causing her to pout.

"I'll have you know that I'm straight also, but that doesn't mean I don't like gay people because they're fun to hang out with sometimes" Namine replied clearly stating that she had hung out with homosexual people before and that there's nothing wrong with it (A/n: I also have nothing against homosexual people because in life we can't help who we're attracted to and it isn't their fault, but I've never met a homosexual like Namine).

The rich folk let out a sigh of relief. At least their object of affection is definitely straight. Seifer was having similar thoughts.

"But I did meet this girl who tried to convert me once" Namine said aloud causing a unison anime fall throughout the restaurant.

"Well, enough about that, Fuu, this is my friend Seifer" Namine pushed Seifer forward to Fuu who blushed. He was quite handsome. "And you already know these guys" Namine said lamely which caused Roxas to flick her cheek. Namine made a move to tackle him, but as always, Axel caught her in midair before she could lay a finger on the cocky blonde.

"Woah little lady, don't what to get arrested for murder" Axel told her.

"You're right" Namine said and then looked around the restaurant. "Too many witnesses" she whispered to Axel as he sweardropped.

"Well, since you're here causing a muck as usual," Fuu began. "What do you guys want to eat?" she asked as she led them to a table. Namine sat with Axel, Demyx and Riku as Roxas, Sora and Seifer were across from her.

"I want—"

"I know what you want Namine" Fuu said without looking up from her notepad with half lidded eyes.

"Nyah! Fuu's so mean!" Namine whined and pouted as she crossed her arms across her chest in a huff.

"What about you guys?" Fuu asked as she tried to avoid looking at Seifer in fear that her cheeks would glow like a Christmas light again. Oh, the teasing she would endure from the evil Namine if she saw her blush. Oh the shame!

"I'll have a burger" Seifer replied. The rest stayed silent as they looked at the non-classy menus with confusion written on their faces. Seifer gazed at them in confusion and a hint of smugness. "What? Is this the first time you guys ever been to a restaurant or something?" he asked and laughed at his own joke.

However, Namine didn't think it was funny for she had the idea that Seifer's joke was indeed true. Well, at least half of it anyway.

_This must be the first time they ever went to a low class restaurant, _Namine thought. Suddenly, she felt guilty. She didn't mean to beg them to take her here if they had never tried any of these foods before. They must be feeling the same exact thing she felt when she was in that classy restaurant with them. She felt very disgusted at herself for not even considering it.

_Duh Namine, they've stayed away from commoner things their whole lives, _Namine repented herself. She was such an idiot! _Dammit! _

"They'll just have what I'm having" Namine saved them from explaining that they've never been to a cheap restaurant since they were rich and never had any of these fast foods and junk. "Kay Fuu?" Namine asked the silver haired girl. Fuu seemed to have realized what Namine was doing for she just nodded and left instead of questioning her.

"Mine, they can order for themselves, you know:" Seifer told her. Namine flicked his forehead with her spoon from across the table.

"Well, I wanted to order for them, stupid!" she retorted. Seifer glared at them from the corner of his eyes as they smirked at him in smugness and satisfaction.

* * *

An awkward silence fell upon them as Namine had thoughts of guilt and confusion on her five bosses and Seifer. Sure, she felt guilty because she put her bosses in an uncomfortable position, but her thoughts circulated upon Seifer more. Questions burned at the back of her mind as she remembered the reason he had gone away. 

What was he doing back here? Why of all times did he decide to pop into her life? She didn't think he would want to see her again after that incident. Namine furrowed her eyebrows as her thoughts came to other things. Could she really trust Seifer? She knew him very well and let her just say that he wasn't the goody goody type when she knew him.

Namine shook her head of her internal struggle. Seifer was her friend. He had done so many things for her. He had sacrificed so much for her. Hell, she doubted she would be here if it wasn't for him helping her out.

And oh god, that day. That day when she had almost lost a chance at her future. He had given his future up just for her. No, she should not be thinking horrible thoughts about the person who had helped her time and again throughout her teenage years.

She felt a hand intertwine with hers under the table. She saw that Axel was the one who grasped her hand and that Roxas, Riku, Demyx, and Sora were looking at her in worry. They had clearly noticed her internal struggle. She just gave them a smile showing that she was fine, but they could tell it wasn't genuine.

That smile was one big fake.

* * *

"So, Seifer" Roxas began. "Why'd you leave so suddenly for seven years if you and Namine are close?" he asked casually, but on the inside, he was boiling. Didn't he notice at all that Namine wasn't happy? 

"It was an abrupt leave" Seifer simply replied. "Besides, I came back because I wanted to see Namine again," he told them.

"Just to see Nami-chan?" Demyx asked suspiciously. Seifer just gave him a smirk.

"She owes me," he told them. Namine just stared at the tabletop in silence. "In fact, she owes me for a lot of things, right Namine?" asked Seifer. Namine didn't answer nor did she move.

"She owed me from the first time we met" Seifer laughed, but it wasn't one of those laughs you want to join in to.

"How did you two meet?" Riku asked calmly, but inside he felt as if something was going to happen. Seifer just smirked even wider. If they heard this, they surely wouldn't want to be with Namine anymore leaving her all to him. Judging by Namine's posture, he doubted she even told these guys anything about her life.

"Well—"

"Don't. Tell. Them" Namine spoke in a deathly serious voice. "Don't you _dare_ tell them anything Seifer" she spat out.

"Why? You have nothing to hide Namine" Seifer replied. "I mean, if they're really your friends then I don't think they would care how screwed up your life—"

_SLAP!!!_

The left side of Seifer's face was burning and turning red. He looked at her shocked as all the other occupants of the restaurant. Fuu stared with wide eyes at the anger radiating off Namine. She knew that the blonde had never, _ever_, been this angry since she was two-years-old.

Since the day her mother had left them.

"Outside" she said in a low voice. She didn't look at him or anyone, but even a blind person could tell she was angry.

Seifer followed her outside leaving a stunned crowd behind them. The sky was now very dark and if Namine was correct, had very heavy clouds meaning that it would probably rain any minute.

They went into an alleyway beside the restaurant in silence. However, when they got there, everything was anything but serenity and silence.

_WHAM!!!_

Seifer hit the dumpster behind him from the impact of Namine's punch. She glared down at him and grabbed his collar before he even had a chance to recover from the impact of her punch and the dumpster.

"You bastard!" she snarled. "Where the hell do you get off telling people about my past?" she growled out.

"What's wrong? Thinking that they'll see you for what you really are?" he spat out at her. "I know you Namine. More than anybody and believe me, from the stuff you did in the past, you're no innocent saint" he retorted.

"Same goes for you dumbass!" she snapped and pinned his body against the dumpster while she still held his collar violently. "You were doing drugs before I was ten! And I don't think the police let you out for just being a good boy" she lashed out at him.

"I wouldn't be the one rotting in jail if I didn't save your ass back then!"

"You deserved it for all the crap you put me up to!" Namine shouted at him and pressed him harder against the dumpster.

"Crap that you had no problem doing" he told her. "Crap that I can easily turn you in for Namine. Think about how people will look at you if they found out what a dirty bitch you are. Your sister and best friends will be ashamed. Your father will go back into depression. And the mother you have no idea where she is will always be right about you!" his words cut a hole in her heart.

"That you were always an ungrateful child who didn't have any reason to be in this world except cause trouble for everyone around her!"

A cord inside her had snapped as everything around her froze. Flashes of the past came back all at once. From the day her mother had spoke vilely of her behind her back to the day when she had decided to clean up her life. Her head throbbed in pain as she doubled over onto the ground.

However, Seifer grabbed her roughly and pinned her against the dumpster with his form trapping her.

"You owe me Namine," he spoke in her ears. "It's about time you paid up for everything that I went through for you" he hands began moving around her body as his mouth roughly covered hers. She struggled as his words were pulling her mind into a stupor of what happened years ago.

"_So if you want to rant or cry or tell me anything. I'll be honest with you and treat you like a person and not a child, okay?"_

"_Sweet like Na-na"_

"_If it's that important, then I suggest you get a job to keep it"_

"_You're a really strong girl, Namine"_

"_Where's my hello you little rascal?"_

"_No, Namine, you're wrong"_

"_We're not your bosses, Nami-chan,"_

"_We're your friends"_

"_Yeah, and friends help each other out, you know"_

"_And they spend time together making memories"_

_Sorry guys, _Namine apologized with a bitter smile as all her important people showed up in her mind. They were all smiling at her, happy that she was there with them, but she knew that no matter how hard she tried, she could not fully be happy with them. She still had many wounds and dark pits that possibly are not ready for healing just yet, _but for now, I'm just going to have to lie straight to your faces on who I really am._

Something then caught Namine's eyes. She definitely knew what was in Seifer's pocket. Years of experience with them allowed her to know exactly when someone is carrying one in their pocket. She just didn't think that Seifer was that stupid to carry one in broad daylight all day.

Knowing that she was going to throw up after this, Namine kissed Seifer back. She gagged when he became more forceful and tried to stick his tongue in.

_Oh no you don't! _Seizing her chance, Namine kicked up to Seifer's pocket causing the item to fall out. Seeing she had an opening, Namine kicked Seifer off her and made a dive for the item.

The bare skin on her arms scraped against the payment in a burning sensation since she didn't have a jacket on, but she didn't care. She quickly got up and pointed the item straight at Seifer.

When Seifer got up, he saw what Namine was holding and smirked despite his bloody lip.

"Well, I shouldn't be surprised you noticed a gun in my pocket" he said knowing of her experience with the items in the past. "But I don't recall you ever killing someone" he told her smugly.

Namine just glared harder at him and held the gun steady. Blood covered her arms from the impact on the payment and her pants were torn to shorts from the friction of the impact. More blood spilled the ground from her legs. However, she didn't flinch. She was numb to this. She was numb to all of it except for the gun in her hands.

"You can't do it," he told her. "You can never take a life. You're too scared to cross that line like I did" he taunted her with a sick grin on his face.

"Shut up" she told him threateningly, but he continued.

"Oh yes, especially that little girl at the convenience store that night. Remember Namine? Remember how that little girl's blood was on your hands when I killed her. Because I tried to shoot you that night when you wanted to turn us in. That little girl didn't want you to die. She said that you were the best thing that ever happened to her. That you made her happy"

"Shut up" she said louder this time.

"Oh but I'm not done, Namine. Is that how you repaid her? By letting her die? Then getting away while I rotted in that cell and not even turning yourself in like you said you would?"

_BANG!!!!!_

Blood was the only thing Namine saw in her line of vision.

* * *

"What was that?" asked Sora. 

"Gun shot" Roxas, Axel, Demyx, and Fuu stated at the same time.

"I don't think we need to worry about it. Gang fights happen all the time in the slums, but never in the restaurants," Fuu told them. The five males looked at her in shock. "Judging by your faces, Namine didn't tell you the dangers of living in the slums day in and day out"

"What dangers?" Riku asked.

"All kinds" Fuu answered simply. "Rape, robbery, homicide, suicide, gang fights, you name it, the slums got it," she told them seriously. "In fact, everyone's a target as soon as they walk out their door"

* * *

"Dammit" Seifer cursed as he held his injured leg. It was in deep, but if he got it out soon, he won't die. However, he wasn't expecting Namine to actually shoot him. It seems his pushed her too far with _that_ memory. 

Namine just stood in the alley panting heavily. The gun dropped to the payment, but none of them dared to retrieve it. Her hands were shaking widely with convulsions, as her eyes were wide in panic. She had just shot someone. In all her life, she had indeed held a gun, she had held in to people's heads in false, but convincing, threats, but she had never, _ever_, shot a gun.

"Well, Namine" Seifer grinned out as he struggled to get out of the alleyway, "All I can say is that one day your past is going to come back and hunt you down. And I won't be there to stop it" he spat out at her and limped out of the alleyway.

The alleyway that was covered in blood and rain began to pour.

**

* * *

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**Karin-chin: All right, I'm now definitely changing the rating to M for adult themes, language, and violence. However, using guns in this story are no more since this story is not going to include guns for the rest of it. **

**So, you all saw part of Namine's past. Sadly, this is just an intro to her life as a teenager for her past is covered in the sequel (Yes, there is going to be a sequel to this story because I know how it ends and what the sequel is going to cover). So, don't expect all of what Seifer said to be elaborated in this story because it's all in the sequel which will not be out until this one is finished. **

**That's all for now, hope you enjoyed it and bye!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!**


	13. Namine Narumi: The Lost

**Karin-chin: Okay, that last chapter probably has question marks floating above your head, right? **

**Axel, Demyx, Riku, Sora, Roxas: No duh**

**Karin-chin: which is why I'm updating to help satisfy the curiosity torturing your souls**

**Axel, Demyx, Riku, Sora, Roxas: Liar, you love to torture us. It's just that you didn't want to leave the reviewers hanging! And don't you have a cold or something?**

**Karin-chin: Okay you caught me, and yes, I just got over a cold so sorry I couldn't update faster. **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts! How many times do I have to write this to get it through your heads?

**Title: **Love at First Write: The Writer

**Rating: **M for adult themes, language, and slight violence

**Genres: **Romance/Drama/Humor/Angst

**Status: **In progress with a sequel coming after it

**Hope this clarified that I am definitely doing a sequel to this story once I finished**

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**Replies to the Reviewers from Chapter 12:**

**Mooncry—**Yes, aren't you glad that Seifer got what he deserved. He might have a small appearance in the sequel though so it's best not to do a victory dance that he's gone for good, just for a while.

**Mika-chan—**I'm surprised a lot of people who read this fic know about Ouran. It's one of my favorite animes and I'm glad you're enjoying it. However, the whole story on Namine and the girl won't come until the sequel where it covers Namine's past as well as her trying to run from it.

**Iaveina—**Sorry about your glasses. I have them too but I never sat on them before; however, the lens did pop out of them from time to time. Anyway, I'm very honored that you would review me even if you had a slight disadvantage at the moment.

**Chained Memories—**Yes, I purposely made Seifer a pain. And about Namine's past, actually it's not going to be fully revealed until the sequel where she deals with her past and the present at the same time. But also I'm giving a sort of intro to her past and show that even Namine has some secrets in her closet that she hasn't revealed to anyone.

**Hanakitsunechan7—**Well, like I said for the other replies above, Namine's past won't be fully revealed until the sequel where she's coping with both past and present. However, I'm giving some intro points that will be covered in the sequel. I'm glad that this story isn't so predicting to you and that you're still reading it. Hopefully, you'll stick to it to the end and even read the sequel.

**Lebrezie—**Chapter 9 reply: I'm glad you found that chapter enjoyable.

Chapter 10 reply: Yes, that would've been funny, ne? Perhaps I'll do deleted scenes when the story is finished and put that the Robonza one as one of them.

Chapter 11 reply: Yes, they are perverts. As my friends and I say, "Every anime has to have a pervert". Thanks so much for the encouragement on my writing. Usually, I'm very insecure about when it comes to my writing skills. Also, I laughed at the part in your review when you talked about stealing clothes from your sister unsuccessfully. I don't even dare step into the demon's lair known as my sister's room less I want to loss more brain cells. Nerds are indeed awesome because me and my friends are complete anime nerds. POWER TO THE ANIME NERDS!!!!

Chapter 12 reply: Sorry I didn't update this in for like two months. You probably want to kill me right now for leaving you suspense.

**xxKingdom-Hearts-Fanxx—**Hmm. I don't think there's much of romance in this chapter but you be the judge of that.

**X-The Random Vampire-X—**I'm excited to find out that you would want to read my other works. It really made me smile. I'm also glad that the story is enjoyable to you, and yes, you're right, you don't make your friend so mad that they shoot you in the leg and you still don't shut up.

**cHeRrYbLOssOmO7—**I'm glad you like this story and my other one called "Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game". I intend to update that one soon as well.

**

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**Recap:**

Namine just stood in the alley panting heavily. The gun dropped to the payment, but none of them dared to retrieve it. Her hands were shaking widely with convulsions, as her eyes were wide in panic. She had just shot someone. In all her life, she had indeed held a gun, she had held in to people's heads in false, but convincing, threats, but she had never, _ever_, shot a gun.

"Well, Namine" Seifer grinned out as he struggled to get out of the alleyway, "All I can say is that one day your past is going to come back and hunt you down. And I won't be there to stop it" he spat out at her and limped out of the alleyway.

The alleyway that was covered in blood and rain began to pour.

**End of Recap:**

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* * *

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**Namine Narumi- The Lost**

She didn't know how long she had stood there frozen like a statue in the pouring rain. Her breathing was quiet and her eyes staring wide into nothingness. The cold air bit at her bare arms and the blood dripping down her legs and arms soaking the payment was ignored as if it wasn't even there.

It seemed like hours before Namine was jolted out of her stupor by the sound of distant police sirens. Her heart pounded in fear for herself and for the aftermath if she was caught. She immediately bolted out of the alley through the pouring rain not having a clue where she was going or what the consequences would be of just leaving everyone like that.

But right now, all she could do was run away.

* * *

Tifa sat in her apartment watching the cable with boredom. Nothing good was on! She sighed and flicked to another channel despite knowing that it was a fruitless effort to find something good on. 

A phone rang startling her from her bored state. Thunder banged in the background as she picked up her phone and held the item to her ear.

"Hello?" asked Tifa. It was silent for a couple of seconds before her eyes shined with realization and delight. "Hey Leon, what's up?"

Her eyes widened as the caller informed her of his late phone call.

"Namine's missing?!"

* * *

Her breaths came out in pants as she had run for an hour straight. Her body screamed for her to stop for she was weak from blood loss and the cold, but Namine disregarded it for she continued on running. 

Her mind was in jumbles as her heart pounded in a rapid rhythm matching her shortened breaths. Her lungs yelled in pain, as did her sides from non-stop running, but the girl just continued running.

Running was the only thing she was good at.

She ran all her life. That seemed to be the only thing she could do to escape her problems. All she wanted to do was just run. Run away from everything. Run so fast that all her problems wouldn't keep up and leave her be to run away from them.

She had run when her mother left them. She had run when Fuu had moved away. She had run when Kairi was lost. She had run when Kairi left her for college. She had run on the day that a person important to her had died in her pale arms.

So lifeless and cold.

Namine's feet seemed to have guided her somewhere for her body had stopped in front of the steel rusted and old gates leading to her appointed destination in her subconscious mind.

The gates leading to the cemetery.

Her drenched form didn't waste any time in bursting through the closely shut gates and she had once again continued onward to the familiar place she had visited once every year on the exact same day.

But her mind had questions running through her despite the running. What good would going here do? She couldn't bring back her friend. She couldn't turn back time. She had already visited here in March on the 13th. She had already paid her respects so why was she going here?

Her feet had stopped in front of the all too familiar tombstone. The rain pitter-pattered against it in a hard pounding rhythm, as her once shining eyes were now dull as they stared straight at the description; the very same description she had carved in herself in a form of respect.

Her blooded knees dropped to the muddy ground as her scraped hands clutched the tombstone in desperation. Her shoulders shook with sobs that wracked her whole body into convulsions. It was all coming back to her as she heard the voice of the deceased child in her memories.

"_I don't think of Namine nee-chan as a bad person"_

"_Nee-chan makes me feel all warm inside" _

"_This taste great Nee-chan! Have a taste too!"_

"_Namine nee-chan, look! It's so pretty! The rainbow's so pretty isn't it?" _

"_I love you Nee-chan. Promise you'll stay with me forever?"_

"_I don't want Nee-chan to die; I love you too much for Nee-chan to leave me"_

"_I don't want to die Nee-chan! Don't let me die!"_

"_It's okay if you can't save me Nee-chan, if I die first, I won't feel the pain of watching you die one day"_

Namine sobbed harder as her nails dug into the stone of the headstone in despair. She couldn't save her. She couldn't help her live even after she had begged Namine to help her. But then the child had known hadn't she? That Namine wasn't God and couldn't change fate; so, she settled for passing on with the blonde holding her as the next best thing.

"_If Nee-chan is the last thing I see, then that makes me happy, Nee-chan"_

"_I still love Nee-chan more than anything, even if she believes to be a bad person"_

Namine's sobs caused her to somewhat cough as her forehead pressed against the tombstone never once letting go.

"_You're my reason for living Nee-chan"_

That was the last thing that Namine had heard before the child had died in her arms. So cold. So lifeless. So still. Namine coughed more as vomit began to leak out of her mouth from the sickened feeling she had in her stomach. Her hands were shaking, but she didn't dare to remove them from the grave or even look at them.

She was afraid that she would see _her _blood on them like she had six years ago.

The air reeked of vomit but still the woman stayed. Her teary eyes gazed at the description as if her body was forcing her to look at it. Gaze at it and suffer for what she had done in the past leading up to this moment.

_A loving friend and daughter _

_Her kindness and loyalty shall grant her a special place in our hearts_

_May she rest in peace for all eternity_

Her eyes drifted lower as they gazed upon the last sentence of the tombstone. Her heart screamed in agony like it had done six years ago at this very spot. The tears and rain did nothing to impair her vision for she had read the description too many times that it was inscribed in her head.

_Marlene Haruka_

She vomited again as if seeing the very name triggered her sick feeling.

"Why?" she whispered out. If it was anymore possible, she clutched the gravestone tighter.

"Why?" she asked herself louder this time. She didn't receive an answer for she was the only one present there among the living. Her only company was the vast tombstones stretched for miles dating all the way back to the American Revolution.

So many dead bodies lying there in the dirt, but despite her apparent beating heart and living state, she felt just as dead, possibly deader, as any of them.

"WHY?!" she screamed out in despair and anguish.

* * *

"Where's my sister?!" Kairi exclaimed out to a police officer. Her violet eyes were burning with a fiery passion that almost rivaled Namine's as she angrily gripped the man's collar. "Where's my sister dammit?!" 

"We're looking right now, ma'am," the helpless police officer stuttered out. Clearly, he wasn't used to dealing with a woman with a sister complex. "For all we know, she could be dead right now from all the blood that was in the alley"

That was a bad move.

"She's not dead!" Kairi screamed out as tears welled up in her eyes. "Namine's too stubborn for death so easily! You find that bastard Seifer and you'll find Namine got it!" she exclaimed hysterically.

Cloud gently removed Kairi from the officer and held her to his chest in an act of comfort. Kairi sobbed out as she tried in vain to convince herself that Namine wasn't dead, but the police officer did have a point. There was so much blood in the alleyway that she could've died from blood loss or the gun shot some people had reported earlier.

Nearby them, Tifa and Leon were standing with Fuu. After five minutes of hearing the gunshot, police sirens were heard and burst in the restaurant demanding if anyone was hurt. When everyone was okay, a police officer reported they found a blood-drenched alleyway nearby.

An alleyway that had a gun lying around and Namine's white baseball cap along with shreds of her pants.

When the group had heard this, Fuu had explained that Namine had went out a while ago with a man named Seifer. The police seemed to perk up at the name for they had looked at each other in affirming for their hypothesis.

_

* * *

_

_Flashback_

"_Seifer? As in Seifer Moriyama?"_

"_We didn't catch his last name," Riku informed them, but the police didn't seem to have doubts in their assumption. _

"_What's wrong officers?" Fuu asked them worriedly. Her heart pounded of the possibilities of her friend's safety. _

"_Seifer Moriyama is an escaped convict," One of the officers explained gravely. "He was arrested six years ago for murder and drug dealing. Plus, a lot of other violations that are too many to list" the officer told them._

_Demyx's mind clicked as he remembered what Namine had said earlier in her apartment to the nuisance. _

"Well, you wouldn't have gone away in the first place if…" she stopped dead as she had realized that they were not alone in the room and that this conversation needed to be private. "Nevermind…" she finished dully.

"_Do you think that Nami-chan knew about Seifer?" Demyx voiced out his question. The blonde seemed very defensive at dinner. She must have known about Seifer and didn't want them to know about it._

_The real question was why?_

"_You think she knew the whole time?" asked Axel._

"_Remember earlier?" Demyx asked to prove his point. "Nami-chan was so different at dinner, as if she didn't want us to know something about her in the past" _

"_Looks like we're not the only ones who were hiding something from each other" Roxas muttered out. The others had the same expression of seriousness and anger in themselves. _

_Namine was the most important person to them and they don't even know a thing about her! They supposed they deserved it for not telling her anything about them and such, but they just weren't ready to disclose their pasts to others. They felt as if they were in their own world where no one could enter. No one could break the barrier. _

_But Namine did. _

_But did they break hers?_

_All was silent between them as they thought deeply. Finally with a sigh from Roxas, he rose up with the others following out the door knowing full well what each of them wanted—no, _needed_—to do desperately. _

_Fuu noticed their retreating figures out the door and looked at them in surprise and curiosity. _

"_Where are you guys going?" she voiced her question. _

"_What else?" Sora asked as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. _

"_We're going to find that midget" Roxas supplied the answer and they all left in the pouring rain in search of the blonde that had warmed so many hearts. _

_Fuu sighed and headed towards the phone. She decided to call Leon and tell him to inform the others on what had happened. _

_After all, going to look for Namine was not her place no matter how much she wanted it to be. _

_That right solely belonged to those five men. _

_

* * *

_

_End of Flashback_

"I can't take it anymore," Tifa said as Mr. Narumi, Olette, Rai, and Hayner had just arrived minutes before at the police station. "I have to go and look for her" she said and headed for the day. However, Leon grabbed her wrist and yanked her back in her seat.

"No, we have to stay here" he told her glaring. Tifa glared back at him with full force as she ripped her arm out of his hold. She angrily stood up from her seat and glared harder if possible.

"What do you mean stay here?! Namine is out there in danger of God knows what, and all you say is 'stay here' and let it happen?!" Tifa yelled out getting the attention of all the other occupants in the room. "Goddammit Leon! Namine is our friend and you're just going to sit here and she could be dying out there?!"

"That's not true," Leon told her. Tifa clenched her fists and continued her tirade.

"Oh it's not, is it?" she laughed bitterly. "Then tell me what you're doing right now as Namine is in danger? Didn't we promise we would be there for her? Didn't we promise that we would always help one another?!" she yelled out at him.

"Tifa—" Olette began worriedly.

"Is Namine so annoying that you want her dead Leon?! Is she that troublesome you want her to rot in the ground?!"

"Don't take your frustrations out on me, Tifa!" Leon said boiling. "Just because you're mad about being pushed away from her doesn't mean you have to blame me for it!" he shouted at her.

Tifa felt as if a bullet was shot through her chest as she stared shocked at Leon.

"W-what?" she stuttered out in disbelief.

"Don't give me that," Leon snapped out. "Ever since the Seventh Heaven had closed down, you had been trying to stay close to Namine as much as possible! You can't handle that she's going her own way without you there!" he shouted at her. Tifa shook her head rapidly as if she was denying his accusation to both him and herself.

"That's not true!" she denied desperately, but her heart cried out in agony at the possibility of Namine just leaving her behind. She still needed Namine to support her. Didn't Namine still need her too?

"You can't handle the fact that Namine is depending on other people now, Tifa" Leon finished out and everything became silent between them as Tifa's body shook with convulsions.

"Leon that was going too far!" Kairi told him. He then turned his glare to Kairi and she mentally gulped at what was to come next.

"Oh, you mean like you went too far years ago Kairi?" he snared out at her causing her to wince. Cloud held Kairi to him and glared at Leon.

"What's your problem?" Cloud demanded. Leon just hmphed and glared at the couple in loathing.

"Looks like your precious innocent girlfriend didn't tell you on her not-so-innocent past experiences with men!" Leon growled out. "I'm sure Namine would be ashamed to call you her sister if she heard about that, wouldn't she?"

Kairi whimpered as she hugged Cloud tighter. To have Namine hate her would truly be her greatest fear. Mr. Narumi rose up from his seat and embraced his crying daughter. His heart breaking in two for both of his daughters who probably have both something to hide from him and society. Mr. Narumi smile sadly, as he thought of his oldest daughter who was suffering of her memories.

_It seems I am not the only one being haunted by ghosts from the past, right Namine? _

The thunder sounded venomously outside as the rain pounded harder on the windowpanes of the police department. His thoughts called out to his daughter in the rain, but he knew in vain that they would not reach the deep recesses of her mind. However, he knew who could.

_Please find my daughter Axel, Riku, Roxas, Sora, Demyx. _

* * *

Her shaky body pushed through the doors to the old mausoleum. Her steps echoed throughout the dark burial chamber in the cemetery. The stone floors radiated no warmth at all causing the barely clothed girl to shiver in displeasure. 

Namine walked deeper into the stone crypt frozen in time. Just like this crypt, she also was frozen in time. That was something they had in common.

She couldn't move forward for she was too caught in the past. Sure, she grew older physically, but mentally, she had stopped growing all together. Ever since Marlene had died, she supposed that in her mind, she was still fifthteen despite knowing full well she was twenty-one and much wiser from when she was a child.

Being stuck in time felt weird now that she had fully admitted it to herself. It felt strange finally realizing that you're stuck in the past and time was moving forward without you. That everyone was getting older while you're mind stayed the same. It gave her chills and comforted her at the same time.

Perhaps this is because of Marlene. Maybe Marlene hasn't forgiven her at all for her sins and this is her punishment: to be stuck in time and always be burdened with thoughts of her. Well, it seemed to be working because the young woman knew she had not let go of Marlene or her past at all.

She had tried to move on many times, but it just kept coming back. So, her solution was to bury it in the recesses of her mind. Just ignore it and keep on smiling for her peers until it came at her in full swing.

It was like a ghost accepting that they're dead for the first time basically.

Namine sat down on the stone floor and picked up two stones from the ground. She noticed some dry leaves that had come in here from the wind when the doors were opened from time to time and crawled over to them. Her shivering hands tried their best to be steady and rubbed the stones together as Namine's lips were turning blue.

Finally, a spark had shown and a small fire was lit illuminating the dreary place somewhat. Despite its smallness, the blonde figured it was better than nothing.

Making herself as close to the warmth without catching on fire, the woman hugged her dry bloody legs to her chest as her dry blooded arms encircled them bringing them closer to her body in an effort of warmth.

Silence that wasn't awkward nor comfortable greeted her. Her head throbbed in pain from all the turmoil it was put through, but she supposed the best way to cure it was to just relax and wait it off. After then, perhaps she'll begin to think more about her situation somehow without breaking down.

Even running away all the time required her to think sometimes.

* * *

They were all drenched to the bone. Their breaths were in rhythmic pants to each other as they searched high and low for the midget blonde. It felt like she just disappeared and they refused to accept that fact in life. As if she had died, and yet they were still waiting for her to come home. 

Their search didn't lead them anywhere. It seemed like a fruitless attempt on their part. The police would have better luck than they would any day since they knew the territory.

But did they know Namine? Did they know that her favorite soda was Orange soda and that she had a strange obsession with her cat, which they believe to be a big orange fluff ball?

No. None of the police officers knew Namine. Namine needed to be found by people who love her; who will embrace her; who will tell her "It's okay now". That was what Namine needed, not some unknown police officers finding her and driving her back to the police station in awkward silence.

And yet, after the chain of events that had happened over the course of a few hours, the five men in search had to ask themselves: Did _they_ even know Namine?

* * *

Namine threw another leaf into the fire and poked the fire around with a stick. She didn't dare utter a sound, not a word was spoken, as if she didn't want to disturb the silence and solitude of the dead. 

Her arms were covered in little goosebumps as she rubbed them for warmth. While her front was somewhat warmed by the fire, her back was freezing! She thought that maybe she should turn around and have her back face the fire for a while, but protested against it. She would just be staring into the darkness.

She didn't like darkness that much. It gave her a cold feeling. A feeling of emptiness; the emptiness of death, as if she had passed on without realizing it. Namine—despite the teasing from Leon and Tifa—had kept a small night light in her living room that most people didn't even notice. The darkness could be overpowering. It could snag you, drown you, and never let you go as you suffocate in its depths.

That feeling; it was a horrible one, she remembered. In her teens, she often was caught in the darkness. Always drowning. Always calling out for someone to save her, but no one ever heard her pleas. She just drowned deeper and deeper. She remembered the first time she felt that feeling; when it all began. It was born from the devastating realization that her mother had abandoned them for her own selfish needs. The fact that she didn't love them as Namine had forced herself to believe she did.

There were times, however, when the feeling was kept a bay for temporary warmth and light. Tifa had been the first to swim her to safety out of that dark abyss. Leon followed soon after. As she got older, they weren't there to help her as she once again fell back into drowning.

_It wasn't always bad, _Namine smiled bitterly despite herself, _Marlene came into the picture and you felt as if the darkness would never get you again. _

And yet her she was. Wallowing in her grief and self-pity on her actions and mistakes in the past. _I'm so fricken pathetic! Marlene would probably be laughing at how much of a mess I put myself in._

_But she's not here anymore, _A sly voice whispered eerily in her mind, _She's not here because of you. It's all your fault! _Namine covered her ears and shook her head slowly, as if she was trying to shake the voice away. However, it seemed to become louder and more clear.

Footsteps behind Namine sounded. They were quiet, yet not tentative as if someone was hesitating. They sat in a dark corner of the mausoleum as they watched the woman with sorrowful eyes. Finally, after confirming their decision, the newcomer decided to speak for the sake of the broken woman.

"What are you going to do now?" For a second, Namine believed it was the inner voice talking to her instead of the outer one, but she soon realized she wasn't alone in death's presence.

"Don't know" Namine replied quietly without turning around. It was better this way. She didn't want the person to see her in her shame and grief.

"That's not much of an answer" the voice replied. It wasn't sarcastic nor was it mocking. The voice was soft, and soothing. Namine didn't know why, but the voice had a familiar sound to it. It calmed her tensed muscles and allowed her to put her trust in this other person. "What do you want to do?" the voice asked her. The question seemed to echo off the stonewalls of the small room.

_What do you want to do?_

_What do you want to do?_

_What do you want to do?_

That question echoed inside her mind breaking through her stupor in the dark recesses of her mind where she was trapped.

What _did _she want to do?

"I…" Namine choked out in a hoarse whisper. The person waited patiently for her.

Her thoughts were in a jumble, and yet one stood above all the others. It glowed at the end of the dark tunnel waiting patiently for her just as it done for years before. It seemed to glow brighter now as her mind became clear in realization dawning on her face.

"I want… to move forward…" she spoke in a quiet voice. "I want to move forward with my life and leave all this behind me, but not bury it either" she spoke slightly louder this time.

Namine turned her blue eyes to the ceiling in determination, aware that the person was watching her the whole time.

"I want to remember the bad memories, as well as the good so that one day, I can be stronger to overcome them," she told the person. "Because if I just bury them, someone will dig them up and use it against me," she explained to the person.

The person couldn't stop that soft smile to come on their face. Yes, this was the person she remembered those years ago. This was the strong Namine shining through the darkness.

"It's always good to want to move forward, and yet, not forget the past either so people don't make the same mistakes" the person's gentle voice spoke out to Namine. Namine couldn't help but allow a grin to spread across her face—a genuine grin.

"Yes, it's high time I get off my wallowing ass and make time move for myself once more, ne?" Namine rose up and dusted her legs off while she chuckled and heard the other voice chuckle with her. The laugh sounded like soft bells. It was a nice sound to hear after the many years trapped in the dark silence of solitude.

"Now that time will move forward for you, what are you going to do?" the person asked curiously. Namine shrugged as she thought for a moment. She was away from the darkness of her mind. Then an idea came to her as her grin turned into a smile.

"I'm going to write. I want to truly be free of this nightmare—no, I _need_ to be free of this nightmare if I'm ever to more forward in life. They say the best way to let your feelings loose is to write. Just write about anything at all," Namine said smiling. Yes, she wanted to write. Her hand itched to hold a pen and scribble random nothings and haphazard thoughts that seemed to be meaningless at first glance but held so much more.

"Yes, I heard that too. It really does seem to work," the person told her with a tone of happiness. They still were not face-to-face. Not once did Namine turn around or did the person get up from their spot to approach her. The air around them was no longer thick and heavy with tension, but the comfortable aura of companionship. It felt as if the dead were waiting for Namine's revelation as she felt an air of contentment all around her. Even the fire seemed brighter to her with so much more warmth between its dancing flames.

She had finally woken up from her frozen stand in time.

"Sorry I can't stay and chat with you more, but I have somewhere to be" Namine told the person without looking at them once. They both felt as if this wasn't the right moment for them to be face-to-face. Not yet, at least, but until they were both ready to see the other, they would wait patiently. Namine would wait patiently to see the person who woke her up and thank them face-to-face. "I don't think I can write in a mausoleum since I'm without paper and a pen," Namine said to her companion.

"Yes, a writer must have their materials and the right atmosphere" the person replied. Namine could feel they were smiling. "I'm sure you'll be able to write something really great since you're very smart"

"I don't think I'm smart with the way I've been acting lately" Namine scratched the back of her head in embarrassment while she stood at the doorway of the mausoleum, her back still facing the person with the kind aura.

"You're a very strong woman, I don't believe you would let mistakes put you down" A familiar feeling washed over Namine when she heard that, but she ignored it. She would think about the familiar saying later.

"Thanks. Well, see ya!" Namine called and left the mausoleum to her next destination in determination.

All the while, warm green eyes shining with kindness watching her figure fade away.

* * *

There it was. It was exactly as she and the other employees had left it. There the Seventh Heaven stood still in one piece. A feeling of nostalgia washed over Namine. It felt like it was only yesterday that she was standing in front of her old workshop. The only thing different about it, though, was the fact that there were signs around the small yard leading up to the door saying that it would soon be under construction and the door and windows had wooden boards nailed over them, giving it a deserted abandoned effect with the addition of the pouring rain. 

Namine ignored the "Keep out" and "This is private property" crap on the signs while she walked up to the front door. There were a couple of boards nailed to the doorway going across the door to forbid anyone from entering.

She took a deep breath, grabbed one of the boards, and yanked as hard as she could. Due to the force, the board flew off with Namine falling back onto the muddy ground. Her expression was one of a peeved librarian who wanted everyone to stop disrespecting the books. Even in serious time like this, she was a fricken klutz!

After many yanks and falls later, Namine found herself in front of a boardless door. She kneeled down to the cement porch with a couple cracks and holes in it. She removed a piece from its hole and found the spare key. Tifa said that the above the doorframe, under the foot mat, and under the flowerpot would be too obvious to hide the spare key. They had established the spare key because Namine would often work late with her and tended to lock herself out after retrieving the take out from down the street.

The feeling of nostalgia increased tenfold as she stood in the open doorway to the Seventh Heaven. She stared into the darkness for a moment before tentatively stepping inside and out of the pouring rain.

She took more steps while her eyes adjusted to the dark. It felt so empty and cold within the old office. The place was much more suited to life with people laughing and writing together at the same time as flicking Chinese takeout at each other, than a dark deserted room.

Memories swarmed into Namine's mind as she walked over to her old office. It felt weird, yet comforting to be in here again. It was as if the old building was waiting for her to come and breathe life into it with her pen, paper, and words, many many words.

The floorboards creaked under her steps as she walked into her office. Like the rest of the place, it was silent, dark, and empty. Namine took another step, but yelped when the floorboards broke and she was now sitting on her butt looking up at the hole from her office floor.

"Oh sure, it's _my_ office that gets the big fricken hole in the floorboards" Namine grumbled as she rubbed her bottom from pain. Something nagged at her that she would feel that later on.

"Hmm?" Namine looked curiously around the place. It appeared to be a room of some kind, perhaps an old office from the 1700s, if the parchment, oak desk, wooden chair, fireplace, and bottle of ink with feather pens were any indication.

Now that she thought about it, didn't Tifa once tell her the Seventh Heaven had been around since the 1700s before the beginning of the American Revolution? The Rebels needed a place to write their plans and secrets, Tifa told her, so that they wouldn't get in trouble with the British and get arrested for it. She didn't think that there would still be a room down here, perhaps none of the employees or the landlords of now and before the Seventh Heaven was bought by Tifa did.

Despite the curses in her mind at the room for hurting her bottom with its floorboards, she smiled. Namine felt it; the many words forming into sentences in her mind. The warm breath of their whispers in her ear. The many stories they had to tell. Yes, it felt so strong in this room; Namine couldn't contain herself as she trailed her fingertips across the smooth oak wood desk and sat in the oak chair. It felt warm, as if someone was just sitting there, but she knew that that was impossible for the amounts of dust around the room along with the cobwebs indicated that no one has been there in about two centuries. Still, it welcomed Namine as if she was meant to be here all along.

After lighting the fire in the fireplace and some candles on the desk, Namine dipped her pen in ink and began to fill the paper with words. Beautiful, meaningful words that longed to roll off her tongue and onto the parchment like some exotic dance.

* * *

"Nami-chan's not anywhere," Demyx said sadly. The others weren't feeling any better. They all had depressed and distressed expressions on their faces. Their eyes were filled with worry as the only thing in their minds wasn't by their side, but out their somewhere alone. 

"Damn, if this was hide and seek, she'd cream us big time" Axel said in an effort to lighten the mood, but sadly it didn't work, not even on him. They were just too worried about Namine.

"We're not doing it right," Riku told them. "All we've been doing is searching for a needle in a haystack," he said frustrated. It was rare to see him like this; showing emotion as a normal person would. But then again, they all started to show more emotion these days since the blonde psycho came into their lives. It was like a dream that they never wanted to wake up from.

But now, everything seems to be shattered. The dream was destroyed and reality is in its place. It felt like the days before Namine came into their lives. Before they all had decided that they would leave their parents' mansions and go live together on their own to create a home, something they always wanted.

Namine had made their home complete.

"That moron wouldn't go just anywhere" Roxas muttered as he ran a hand through his blonde drenched locks. "She'd go somewhere familiar to her"

"Somewhere she felt comfortable," Sora said. "Like in all those fanfictions authors put up" Sora told them.

"Sora, for the last time, this isn't' a fanfiction by some crazed author, this is real life!" Axel said. Sora bowed his head in apology.

"But Sora does have a point" Riku said, "Not about the fanfiction thing, but about Namine going to somewhere she felt comfortable. That's a normal human reaction after all," Riku explained.

"What about Seifer?" Roxas asked with his fists clenched as if he wanted to punch the guy's lights out just by the mention of his name (All of them felt like that, but Roxas was the one who showed anger the most out of all of them). "What if he still has her?"

"If you don't know the little lady by now, then you need help Roxas" Axel said. "Her stubbornness wouldn't allow her to be captive for long. She'd kick his ass by now" the others sweatdropped as Axel was indeed right. She would've beaten the crap out of Seifer by now. Although, they were somewhat pleased to hear that since they didn't like him that much (Who are they kidding? They downright hated his guts!).

"But where would Nami-chan go?" Demyx asked. Namine never talked that much about her life before she met them. The only places he could think of was her father's apartment or her own. But then again, he doubted she'd be there since he didn't think she wanted to be alone in a dark apartment.

"What about those two friends of hers?" Axel asked aloud. "Maybe she went to one of them or something," he suggested. Riku shook his head in disagreement.

"Miss Namora would've called to inform them. They're all probably at the police station right now," Riku told the others. Their heads slumped as they realized they were out of ideas.

"That idiot! Does she enjoy making people worry about her or what?" Roxas asked angrily. He didn't expect an answer from his companions. Roxas ran a hand through his drenched locks once more in frustration. It was one way to show he was frustrated.

"She's Namine" Sora said as if that answer would sum it up for Roxas. Namine was Namine after all. "And Namine has the ability to make the people who care about her worry without even realizing it"

"It's like she wants to handle everything on her own," Axel continued. "She doesn't want others involved with her problems that she thinks she can solve on her own"

"But that's a problem in itself" Riku said. "Namine is too independent from others"

"Dammit!" Roxas screamed as he punched a nearby wall. "We're right here and she doesn't even see it! She doesn't have to do everything by herself! Why can't she see we're here for her?!" he exclaimed in anger.

Silence engulfed them as they were left with their thoughts and worries. Their regrets and wishes to fix them. Axel turned to Demyx as he realized that Demyx had not said anything. He appeared to by looking in a different direction than them as if something was calling him to look that way.

"Hey Demyx, what's up?" Axel asked his friend. Out of all of them, Axel and Demyx knew each other the longest. Axel remembered that Roxas came soon after, and then Sora and Riku were the last to meet them. Still, it never made a difference if some knew the others longer than someone else in their group did.

"I can't explain, but…" Demyx turned his attention to the others as they all looked at him curiously. "I just get this hunch to go that way. Like something's calling me there," he told them.

"That way?" Sora asked as he pointed to the direction that Demyx was looking at a few seconds ago. Demyx nodded to confirm Sora's question.

"Did we check that way yet?" Roxas asked. The hunch begun to creep up on him as well. It was like something was there that they couldn't ignore. It was different from all the other places they checked. The others could feel it as well.

"No, we didn't yet" Riku replied. The feeling was overwhelming them, as they all turned to the direction of a new street unchecked. Determination began to fill them as they all raced down the appointed street. All of them having the same thought.

They knew where Namine was.

* * *

Page after page was filled with writing. Namine had forgotten the wonderful feeling of writing her ideas and thoughts on paper, turning them into beautiful words and enchanting sentences. It was an amazing feeling that energized her and tired her out at the same time. Her entire mind was filled with the blissful feeling of imagination. 

She had not stopped her writing ever since she had started. It was so long since she last wrote. She missed it so much. Her thoughts from the past month and a half desired to be written down at last. Yes, this is what she lived for. Her passion; Her art; Her craft. The written words of thoughts and imagination; a truly brilliant talent and ability. She was astonished that she had gone so long without her one true passion.

Suddenly, however, her hand stopped. As if something had grabbed it and forced her to stop her witchcraft of imagination. Her head turned away from the parchment to look up out of the hole in her office floor. A nagging feeling overwhelmed her as she felt a familiar twinge of someone—no, _someones_—approaching.

Namine—despite her inner protests and whines of the loss of writing—placed down her pen and rose from the oak chair. She rubbed her aching bottom as she put out the fire and candles, only leaving one of them on for a light source. No wonder wooden chairs didn't come into style that much; they made your already aching ass more of a pain!

Namine took the one illuminated candle and carefully climbed out of the hole into her office as to not let the candle burn the floor. She didn't want people to find out about that place yet. It had become a writing sanctuary that she was not ready to share.

Still, the auras seemed familiar. No, they weren't just familiar, she _knew _who the auras belonged to. She _knew_ who was coming. And yet, she didn't find a trace of annoyance on her being. In fact, her whole body warmed up, as if she was happy and was waiting for them to find her all this time.

Their voices called out to her. So far away, yet so close to her that she could hear them perfectly. Her heart pounded in excitement as she heard them getting closer. The candle had long since blow out now.

Without even realizing it, she bolted straight out the open doorway of the Seventh Heaven, not bothering to close it as her body was in control and not her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she ran to the sidewalk looking around for them frantically. Their voices ringing in her brain calling her name.

_Namine!_

_Namine!_

_Namine!_

"NAMINE!!!"

Her head snapped in the direction of _their_ voices. There they were; running toward her as if she was their only way to live. A huge grin broke out on her face, despite herself and her beaten up appearance.

She raced towards them as well. It felt as if her feet were in control. Her sneakers pounded against the payment of the sidewalk as she ran to them.

…Well, she would have if she didn't trip and fall flat on her face…

"Namine! Are you alright?" five voices rang out when they reached her. Namine raised herself up into a sitting position as she sat cross-legged on the sidewalk. She rubbed the back of her head in pain as the other hand was placed between her legs enclosed in a fist.

"God dammit! Even at times like this I'm always falling flat on my face!"

The five men didn't know why, but they all broke out into laughter when they heard that. Relief flooded into their entire being leaving no room for anger and fear to yell at her with for worrying them.

Yes, this was their Namine.

Namine was surprised when she found they all kneeled down on the payment with her. Demyx embraced her as Axel gave her a little bonk on the head. Roxas flicked her cheek as he muttered "idiot". Sora rubbed her head gently to help her relieve of the pain. Finally, Riku placed her white cap on her head lopsidedly while giving her a soft smile.

Yes, this was their Namine. Once she was lost, but now found.

**

* * *

**

**Karin-chin: Woah! 19 pages people! I wonder if I would be slower or faster if I didn't listen to songs while typing chapters. My friends say I'm a really fast typer, but they should see my mom! Man, she's so fast you can hardly see where her hands are! So sorry it took so long for the chapter to get up, but truth be told, I had actually had 11 pages of it done a long time ago, but only started it up again yesterday and finished it today. I hope it was worth the wait on your part and I apologize to you all for the wait. **

**Sora: yes, this was her Christmas present to all you readers. An update of her most popular story.**

**Axel: And for those who don't celebrate Christmas, Karin hopes that you will enjoy this gift to any of the holidays you celebrate. **

**Roxas: So she kept the readers waiting until Christmas Eve just so she can consider the chapter a gift to them?**

**Karin-chin: NO!! I decided to get off my lazy bum and finish this chapter **_**because**_** of the holidays! Get into the holiday spirit Roxas!**

**Roxas: No thanks**

**Demyx: Roxas is a scrooge! Run away before he infects you with the Hating-Holiday plague!**

**Karin-chin, Riku, Demyx, Sora, Axel: Run away! Oh and one more thing… **

**MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM US TO YOU!!!!**

**I thank the song by Michelle Branch "Breathe" for somewhat inspiring this chapter**

**This chapter is dedicated to my friend Melissa who supports me no matter what it is. You're awesome Melissa!**

**NEXT TIME on Love at First Write:**

**Namine and the others return to not a happy family, but many people with heavy hearts. Just what had happened while Namine was missing? Perhaps Namine isn't the only one with skeletons in her closet. Can Namine convince her family to move forward just as she herself is? **

**That's all! Merry Christmas Eve, Merry Christmas, and happy holidays to all!**

**Please Review or else Roxas will give you the Hating-Holiday Plague.**


	14. Special 00: Namine and the Playdate

Karin: So how long has it been

**Karin: So how long has it been? **

**Roxas: What? You expect us to keep track of your updating schedule**

**Karin: …if I said yes would you be mad? **

**Sora: I think the fans are the ones who are mad**

**Riku: Tell me about it. Maybe you should go into hiding or something**

**Axel: I don't think they'll attack her for not updating in so long**

**Demyx: Yes, but they might attack her for putting in a special instead of the real chapter**

**Karin: Oh right! Since half of the first season of Love at First Write is done and it's my birthday, I've decided to put up a special like they do for real animes. **

**Riku: did you just think of that just now or have you been planning this? **

**Namine: She's been planning it of course**

**Riku, Roxas, Sora, Demyx, Axel: NAMINE?! **

**Namine: **_**(shrugs shoulders) **_**It's a special occasion so Karin invited me**

**Karin: Of course! After all, what special intro would be awesome without the star of the story? **

**Riku, Roxas, Sora, Demyx, Axel: STOP DOING THESE THINGS WITHOUT TELLING US?!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I don't even own a keyblade to fend off heartless. (sniffles)

**NOTE: This is not the actual chapter continuing from Chapter 13. This is a special episode that relates nothing whatsoever to the current plot line. The sole purpose of this special is to create laughs and put in things I couldn't include in the story as actual episodes. **

**Replies to Reviews from Chapter Thirteen:**

**X-The Random Vampire-X- **It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry about that. Yeah, Namine does seem to be the person who everyone takes comfort in. I guess that's because they view her as a strong person. About that whole Roxas yelling at Namine and then he hugs her thing you were hoping to see, I'm actually planning on doing that in an actual chapter. I'm not telling you when it will happen or how but it will happen.

**Iaveina- **I can't skate to save my life either. I just turned sixteen and yet I still cling to the walls like a little baby. I'm sorry about your glasses, even though I kinda thought it was funny how they broke lol.

**Mooncry- **No I didn't, but I think I have it on my ipod so I'll check it out. I'm happy that my story reminds you of a song.

**Lebrezie- **that would be hilarious. I can actually picture that too. I'm not telling you who it was with Namine. It will be revealed though either in the sequel or the first one. Most likely the sequel though since that character will make an official appearance. But I'll give you a hint: Namine had known this person in her past.

**XxThe-Nobodies-RulexX- **heheh, sorry about not updating for so long. School and other stuff got in the way.

**HinataNamine- **I'm so happy you liked your Christmas present. Sorry it's been so long though. Anyway, I guess updating and making the readers happy will be my birthday present.

**SuperJGirl5- **thanks, and talked to you last week at the convention.

**Redxandkemicalx- **You know, that line it pretty funny now that I look back on it. I'm glad you like the story so far.

**Angel Aliera- **I'm very happy to see that you're not skipping to the last chapter of this story. I don't know when Zexion and Yuffle will show up but I'll make sure they'll show up again for sure.

**RIKUS WIFEY- **I had no idea that my story had that much of an impact. Thank you for boosting my writing self-esteem. I'm also touched that you enjoy my other stories as well. Yay!

**El Unico Hombre Libre- **really sorry about that. I hope you aren't mad that this is a special instead of the actual chapter either.

**--**

**Love at First Write**

**Special 00: **

**Namine and the Playdate**

**-**

**-**

**-**

Namine Narumi read over the letter she received in the mail a couple of days ago. Her glasses and messy ponytail in the usual places as she wore a slim navy tank top with blue jeans and her trademark madras tired securely around her waist due to the warm weather in New York City. A pair of old runners were on her feet as she leaned up against a metal pole on the train she was currently riding on.

And what brings Namine to ride a train you ask? Well it's really simple.

Namine was invited for a visit to Tidus's place.

Namine grinned as she thought about her friend. She met him completely on accident actually. It was during that Halloween escapade that her rich and totally insane bosses forced her to go on with them. Not only that, but they made her wear a stinking dress!

Stupid rich bastards, Namine thought to herself with a growl.

Ahem, anyway, she had been temporally separated from them due to an _inconvenience_ (Namine snorted at that—they fricken left her behind to collect their own sweets!) and while she was collecting her own sweets, she happen to come across the blonde boy and his friend who were also trick or treating.

They were very good company. Even if the older one believe that fish would triumph over cats.

But back to the present now. She hadn't seen the boy or his friend since and then just a few days ago, Tidus had mailed her a letter saying he would like to see her and that Wakka, his friend, missed her as well. Of course, Namine being Namine and Namine loves hanging out with her friends, she agreed to visit on her next day off, which just so happens to be today.

Tidus was even generous enough to send her money to ride the local train up to Uptown so she wouldn't have to walk! How lucky could she get? She really must remember to thank him for the favor.

Although, she guessed she should also remember to ask him on how he even got her address and whatnot, but perhaps she should just assume it to be one of the mysteries of rich people.

_Rich bastards who can do impossible things that only exist in anime! _Namine thought with a sour expression. It wasn't fair that they could do stuff from anime! Anime was too awesome and sweet for rich people dammit!

The train pulled into the station making the blonde midget come out of her musings. She hopped off the train and onto the platform with a grin.

… That is until she slipped and fell flat on her back.

"Ow…" Namine muttered out as she laid on the shiny marble floor. No one paid her mind as she lied there in pain. Stupid inconsiderate rich bastards!

Her blue eyed gaze drifted to the right to catch sight of a wet floor sign. She sweat dropped when she noticed that the sign couldn't be seen until you actually fell to look at it.

Again, was her pain so funny that God had to conceal a wet floor sign?

Deciding that glaring at the sign wasn't going to burst it into flames, Namine rose up from the floor and proceeded to go with the directions Tidus had mailed her.

All the while her back smelling of cleaning supplies.

**--**

Namine's eyes were the size of saucers as she stared at the mansion in front of her. Sure, it wasn't as big as her bosses' mansion, but it was still huge compared to the buildings in the slums.

And to think she would be used to this by now having to work for those morons' sorry asses all day.

Speaking of which, where were those guys anyway? To be honest, Namine was half expecting her five nosy and clingy bosses to be standing on front of Tidus's front door waiting for her.

They had a big tendency to interfere with her life. Strange that they would pass off an opportunity to annoy her so much as to want to jump out a window.

_Meh, oh well, more peace and sanity for me, _Namine shrugged her shoulders and began knocking obnoxiously on the double huge front doors with the golden knocker thing that was fun to play with.

Besides, she has nothing to worry about. Her bosses trusted her enough to leave her alone for five flipping seconds, right?

…

…

…

…right?

_Right! _Namine agreed with herself. Just then, the doors opened to reveal a enthusiastic Tidus. He grinned at her when he saw that it was really her.

"Namine! It's been a while! How are you?" he asked her happily. Namine's affectionate side kicked in at that moment as she super glomped him. He was so adorable!

"Yay! Tidus! I missed you! I'm doing great by the way" she told him as she let him go. The poor twelve-year-old boy was as red as a tomato for blushing so hard.

"So, erm, come in" he said as he was recovering from Cloud 9. Namine, being the dense person that she was when it came to these things, bounced in as Tidus led her to where Wakka was waiting for them.

None of them aware of the five jealous pairs of eyes watching them.

**--**

"Riku, why are we hiding in the bushes?" an enraged Roxas asked. He and his companions were currently hiding in one of the many bushes in front of the mansion Namine just walked into. Branches and leaves were present on their clothes and in their hair.

"It's called observation" Riku replied seriously and smoothly. Although, having a fake bird's nest on top of your head made Riku look anything but serious.

"I wanna play with Nami-chan too!" Demyx whined out as Axel and Roxas tried to restrain him from springing into the mansion unexpectedly to glomp their house cleaner.

Their very adorable and lovable house cleaner who was with another male!

"No, Namine would never forgive us if we intruded on yet another one of her outings" Sora protested to Demyx in an effort to make him stop.

"Isn't _this_ intruding?" Axel asked as he gestured to their crouched positions in a bush.

"Not necessarily, as long as she doesn't see us" Riku explained to him. Next to him Roxas gave off a snort.

"What's the big deal? It's not like we ever concealed ourselves with her other outings" Roxas said as he crossed his arms. Not concealing themselves was an understatement. More like obnoxiously barging in on her outings was more like it.

"Yes, but even Namine needs some type of peace in mind" Riku answered his blonde friend's question.

"Then what are we doing this for?" the blonde asked with a raised eyebrow.

"To make sure Nami-chan doesn't get stolen of course!" Demyx told him as if that was the most obvious answer in the world. That girl was too cute for her own good!

"Namine is nine years older than that kid. I don't think she's in danger" Axel said. "And the other guy is five years younger than her so I don't think we have anything to worry about"

"Yes, but Namine has the appearance of a twelve-year-old. Even if not both males are interested in her like that, they are unaware that Namine is nine years the kid's senior and could make a pass at her" Riku explained to Axel.

"Knowing that moron, she probably assumed they knew she was twenty-one" Roxas said.

"And Namine is very dense when it comes to relationships and affection" Sora said after him. Each male had a sweat drop on the back of their head. Oh how they knew that well.

"Either way, Nami-chan needs our protection!" Demyx declared standing up with his fists clenched.

"Get down you idiot!" Roxas yelled and thus lots of crashes and bangs ensured to get Demyx back in the bushes.

**--**

"Did you hear something?" Namine asked Tidus as they walked down the marble hallway towards the entertainment room. Tidus shook his head and looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"No," he replied. "Like what?" he asked her. Namine placed her index finder on her chin as she looked up at the ceiling in wonder.

"Hmm, I don't know" she replied. "Maybe the sound of the mole people wrestling in the bushes in mating season?" she asked him.

"Mole people?" Tidus asked with a slight laugh quite used to her weird nature from Halloween. "Where did you get that idea?" he asked her amused.

"From the Old Hag and Squally from when we were little I guess" she mused out. "When I was really bored, Old Hag, Squally and I would go around the apartment complex searching for the mole people, but they always got away before we could catch them. Stupid intelligent Mole people" Namine muttered out at the end. Tidus gave off a laugh and shook his head.

Namine was a very entertaining person to be around.

**--**

"How are we going to protect Namine if she's in there and we're out here?" asked Sora. Everyone turned to Riku for an explanation. After all, Riku was the most intelligent of them, or maybe they were just too lazy to think of a plan, hmm…

Nah, it was the first one!

"…I got nothing" Riku told them. Cue in unison anime fall. So much for that faith.

"Hey! Lookie! Lookie!" Demyx said as they others sulked. He was looking out of their hiding place from the bushes.

"Not now Demyx" Axel said to him.

"But—"Demyx began but was cut off.

"We're trying to think of something so shut up!" Roxas told him.

"Guys!—" Demyx whined out as he waved his arms up and down like a retarded penguin on crack.

"Shush! We'll deal with it later" Riku told him. Demyx narrowed his eyes in frustration. Then, without further due, finally deciding to use his secret weapon to get them to listen to him.

"Oh my god! Nami-chan's being raped!" Demyx exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" the other men shouted out as they charged toward the opening of the bush with expressions of horror.

_That _got their attention.

However, instead of seeing dear sweet Namine being violated like they feared, they saw a peaceful atmosphere with birds chirping and squirrels eating nuts. One thing was on each of their minds when they saw that Demyx lied.

_Kill Demyx. _

"Now that I finally have you attention," Demyx said as he didn't notice the dark murdering aura radiating off of his comrades, "I have thought of a plan" he pointed towards the direction where clothes were hung up and many rows contain staff uniforms.

"We blend in"

**--**

"Hey Namine, it's good to see you" Wakka said to her as she gave him a greeting glomp as well. "Tidus here wouldn't stop talking about how much he missed you" Wakka jabbed a thumb at the preteen who in turn lit up like a Christmas light.

"Wakka!" he exclaimed in embarrassment. That's the last time he tells Wakka anything that's for sure!

"Wow, Tidus, if I knew you would miss me that much, I would've tried to visit sooner" Namine said clearly not getting the implications of Wakka's statement. She grinned and ruffled his hair affectionately. "I missed you lots too. Things have been pretty hectic around lately" she told him.

"Like what?" Tidus asked glad that Namine didn't make a deal out of anything. One of the reasons why he liked her.

"Well, I've been doing a lot of chores these past few days and I can't seem to get a moment to myself with the idiots around" idiots meaning her bosses who wouldn't even let her breathe on her own!

"You mean your older brother and his friends?" Tidus asked her. Namine gave a nod at that absentmindedly. She completely forgot to correct the two boys that they weren't related to her at all and that she was their employer.

Aw well, it wasn't important anyway.

"They've been bullying you?" Wakka asked seriously as he cracked his knuckles. He never quite had forgiven the five men for abandoning Namine to fend for herself. What kind of brother and friends would do that to a nice girl!

"Oh no, they've just been making me do lots of work around the house" Namine replied with a wave of her hand in a nonchalant manner. "Nothing to be upset over, really. Although there are times when they bug the hell outta me. And other times when they can't keep their hands to themselves" Namine told them with a shrug of her shoulders.

"They harass you?" the two boys asked in horror. What had those creeps done to poor innocent Namine?!

"Yeah, sometimes. Riku doesn't really do anything but that doesn't mean he doesn't do them. Demyx really likes to touch me since he does it every hour on the hour. Axel likes to do the same things as Demyx, and Sora and Roxas like to touch me from behind. Sometimes they all do it at the same time" Namine explained.

The two boys were gaping now. Even her brother?!

Of course, they didn't realize that Namine was talking about hugs and embracing. Riku likes to give her a hug once in a while, Demyx and Axel like super glomping her, and Sora and Roxas like to hug her from behind as she dusted and cleaned. It got really annoying at times, especially when it preventing her work to get done. Not to mention the super group hugs/glomps they do when she's trying to do her job.

"Poor Namine!" Tidus said. He and Wakka had immediately embraced her at her sides. Their eyes were watery from un ushered tears.

"We won't like those sickos get near you ever again" Wakka promised her.

Namine didn't really get why her bosses were being called sickos, but she hugged the two boys back anyway. She liked hugs when they weren't interfering with her tasks.

Suddenly, Namine's stomach growled out loudly causing the two males to let go of her to look at her stomach. Namine gave off a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of her neck with one of her hands.

"Heheh, guess my stomach wants to eat, ne?" Namine asked them. They gave off a laugh and decided to feed the poor girl.

They'd make sure to deal with her sexual abuse later.

**--**

"Can I ask you all something?" Riku asked them with his eye twitching. "And answer honestly" he added.

"Sure" the other males replied. They were all dressed in butler/waiter style clothes. A long sleeve button down white polo shirt, dark grey slacks, black shoes, black vest, black bow ties, and finally white aprons tied around their waists.

"…Why I am the only one who has to wear a maid's uniform?" he asked them as the twitching sped up. True to his statement, Riku was the only male forced to wear this insufferable maid's uniform. It didn't help that it was Lolita style either.

The dress was black and reached down to an inch above the knee with puffy sleeves at the shoulders then became a normal style sleeve further down the arm. White cuffs with gold cufflinks were present on each wrist. A pink scarf hung between the collar of the blouse and a white frilly apron was present around the torso and waist. A white maid's cap was present on his head and white socks up to his knees with black shoes.

The men could hardly contain their snickers, but if they wanted to keep him in the dress, then they would have to play it cool.

"It would be too suspicious if _all_ of us were dressed as male staff. We need a female to ward off any skeptical people" Sora replied with a smile. At least he wasn't snickering when he replied.

"Why _me_ though?" the silver haired male asked in irritation. Sora explained that answer too.

"Because out of all of us, you could pull off looking like a girl with the long silver hair. And your legs look the most girly" Sora told him with a pat on his head. It seems Namine has rubbed off on the manipulative brunette.

"Pssh, yeah right Sora, you had the most girlish legs when we were fourteen" Riku rolled his eyes. His legs were certainly not girly!

Sora's face flushed in embarrassment. He heard the others snickering behind him. Thank god Namine wasn't here to hear that.

"Fine, out of all of us, your legs are the least hairy. Happy now?" Sora asked while crossing him arms.

"No" Riku dead panned.

"Okay then, let's go" Axel said and all of them proceeded to search the mansion for Namine.

**--**

"Wow! You guys have every flavor of ice cream ever made!" Namine said in awe with starry eyes. _I think I died and gone to heaven, _Namine thought as her eyes became watery and she sniffled a little. Her two companions sweat dropped.

"You don't have ice cream a lot, do you, shorty?" Wakka asked as he retrieved the vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry swirl ice cream for Namine and cookies and cream for Tidus and himself.

"Nope" she said drawing out the "p" to make a pop sound. "Can't really afford the good things in life; have to buy essentials before pleasure" Namine told them as she waved around her spoon.

"You sure have it rough" Tidus said. From her address, the two boys seemed to have gotten the drift that Namine wasn't on the good side of the money chain. Perhaps one of her brother's friends was rich and that's why they were in Uptown when they had met Namine.

However, each male didn't really care about Namine's status. Their parents would and so would the rest of the rich society, but Namine was their friend and that was all that mattered to them. It didn't bother them that she was poor.

"It's okay. I have awesome neighbors to bother and tease" she grinned out as she thought of her two favorite victims. Tifa and Leon's expressions were so cute when they were embarrassed!

"I wish you were around more often, never a dull moment with you" Wakka said.

"Yeah, you're very fun to be with" Tidus agreed.

"Are you sure it's not for another reason, Tidus?" Wakka asked slyly grinning. Tidus slapped him on the arm as his reddish hue came back to his face.

"Shut up, Wakka" Tidus muttered out. All the orange haired male did was chuckle.

"Nn, why do you have so many flavors of ice cream anyway?" she asked Tidus as she placed the spoonful of ice cream into her awaiting mouth. It was almost as good as orange soda!

"Well, I guess the maids like going overboard with the shopping. They always buy me lots of clothes too. It's my parents money so nothing comes out of the staff's pocket, but the maids seem to like dressing me up" Tidus said with a huge sweat drop. Namine and Wakka joined in with their own sweat drops.

"…I see" they both said with a nervous laugh.

"So, did you ever have all the flavors?" she asked out and took another spoonful.

"Not _all_ of them, but most. I never actually had the kind you're eating though" Tidus replied as he pointed to her bowl of ice cream. Namine raised an eyebrow. He never had the combo of vanilla/chocolate/strawberry before?

Suddenly, without further due, Namine took a huge scoop and shoved it into Tidus's mouth. His eyes widened and his cheeks flushed red as the sweet tasting substance reached his taste buds.

"There you go" Namine smiled. Wakka was in the background containing his laughing and mutterings of this being like a shojo manga.

Tidus was pretty sure that vanilla/chocolate/strawberry would be deemed his favorite.

**--**

"Dah!" Demyx exclaimed as he fell to the floor twitching. The others looked at him in concern as they had no idea what was going on with him.

"What's with you?" Axel asked the wide eyed in horror Demyx.

"Nami-chan," sniffle, "Just gave an indirect kiss to someone!" he wailed out.

That sent the other males into a frenzy of their own.

"Hurry up and find her!" Roxas panicked. Oh jeez, that girl was too innocent for her own good at times!

"Don't worry Namine! We're coming to save you!" they proclaimed and sped through the mansion like there was no tomorrow.

Which, in this case, if Namine gets defiled in anyway it will be no tomorrow.

**--**

_I just had a bad feeling, _Namine thought to herself dryly. Call it weird, but her something-bad's-going-to-happen-and-might-have-something-to-do-with-my-idiotic-and-insane-bosses-senses were going nuts in the back of her head.

But then again, what had she to worry about? It has been basically three hours of fun with her two friends and nothing remotely near her bosses has appeared. No sign whatsoever. Nope. Nada. Zip.

So then why did that thought only make her worry more?

_Because I keep thinking they're going to spring up out of nowhere and super glomp me, _Namine answered her own question with a monotone expression. When she gets home, she would be sure to double lock any openings into her apartment lest they want to sneak in while she's asleep. That would be a nightmare!

_Easy Namine, get the scary images out of your mind before they imprint themselves and you're dreaming about it throughout the whole fricken night! _Namine urged herself to calm down. She really needed to stop this paranoia, but ever since she met those morons it was hard not to feel paranoid.

Curse those rich bastards!

"Namine?" Tidus asked her worriedly. Namine snapped out of her cursing of her bosses' existence to look at her younger friend. "You okay?" he asked her in concern.

"Eh?" Namine looked around to see that Wakka was asleep on the couch with the big television screen they were watching on low volume while she was sitting next to a worried Tidus.

How long was she in her thoughts? The last thing she remembered was Tidus putting in a movie and it looked like the movie was almost finished!

"You've been spacing out, everything okay?" Tidus informed her. Namine nodded and sighed.

"Yeah, just thinking about morons coming to get me in my sleep" she replied as she massaged her temples. Tidus furrowed his brow when she said that.

"Don't worry, Namine," he told her and placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Wakka and I won't let those guys hurt you" his cheeks flamed up as he got ready to say his next words.

"I'll protect you, Namine" Tidus told her with conviction.

Namine felt touched by that. Tidus hadn't known her for so long and yet he was claming to protect her like a good friend who had known him all his life. Namine's blue eyes were all teary and she sniffled a bit. His adorableness was too overwhelming to her dammit!

Without noticing that Tidus had started to lean in, Namine was too shocked at what happened next.

Like the fact that the doors burst open to the entertainment room with a loud bang causing Wakka to fall off the couch in alertness and Namine being yanked away from Tidus to endure a super glomp from Demyx, Axel, and Sora who were crying anime tears in relief.

"EEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Namine squealed out. What the hell was this?!

"Don't touch" Roxas told Tidus with a growl escaping his lips. He was not happy that the boy had tried to make a move on what was theirs. Stupid kid!

"Wha? Who? Where?" Namine asked out as she looked around frantically. There, her five clingy and moronic bosses were, dressed in butler uniforms and glaring at Tidus and Wakka like little kids who felt that they tried to steal their favorite toy.

Wait…. What the hell was Riku wearing?!

"Riku, why are you wearing a dress?" Namine asked him with swirly eyes. The impact of her bosses showing up out of nowhere and her earlier worries came to her at full force. She _knew_ it was too good to be true!

Riku chose to ignore the woman as he set his aqua colored eyes on the two boys with a dark aura. Roxas as well as the other three males still holding Namine glared at them as well.

"I'm sure Namine would appreciate it if you kept your hands to yourselves" Riku told them smoothly, but if you listened closer, you could hear the dark tone laced under it.

"Then why don't you?" Wakka snarled at them glaring. "How dare you creeps molest a poor little girl! And you're her brother for Pete's sakes!" he ended by pointing an accusing finger at Roxas, who looked at him in confusion. "What kind of sickos are you guys!"

Molest? They didn't recall molesting Namine. Okay, maybe the constant glomping and touching her would be considered molestation if you asked Namine, but they never touched her in an inappropriate place! Namine would murder them if they tried something like that!

"Eh?" the five men looked at them with dumbfounded expressions.

"Yeah, Namine never did anything to you and yet you guys treat her like garbage!" Tidus yelled at them.

What the hell? They would never treat Namine like garbage! Namine was a very special person to them. To treat her with disrespect was like blasphemy in their minds! Sure, they may have overdone it with her work load, but that was her job! And they were always sure that her well-being was well cared for and that she wasn't overworked.

_Who does this guy think he is! _Axel, Sora, Demyx, and Roxas thought out with anger. On the other hand, Riku cleared his thought and began to explain the whole misunderstanding. He should've seen this coming a mile away. After all, when Namine was involved, there was usually some kind of insanity following her.

"I think you misunderstood what Namine was saying" Riku told them seriously. Again, hard to actually take him seriously while wearing something like a maid's outfit but no one made a jibe. "Namine probably complained about her work, correct?"

"Yeah. So?" Wakka asked with venom in his tone.

"Well, you see, it's Namine's job to work. She's our personal maid" Riku replied ignoring the spite.

"You made a twelve-year-old girl your maid!" Tidus exclaimed in anger. All his maids were in their twenties to forties. Who would be cruel as to extort a twelve-year-old?

"She's twenty-one, brat. We're all in our twenties" Roxas said while crossing his arms. "And I'm not her brother, we're all her bosses. She _works_ for us" he empathized the work part so they would get the picture.

"We're her employers!" the three males behind Roxas and Riku chimed in happily as they nuzzled the blonde.

"Nami-chan's so adorable; we can't help but hug her!" Demyx said with a grin.

"Yup, the little lady is especially fun to hug when she gives off her squeaks and yelps when we catch her off guard" Axel grinned slyly and ignored Namine trying to whack him.

"So that's why you guys glomp me when I'm working? I'm trying to get my damn job done and you guys constantly distract me!" Namine waved her arms up and down while still in the embrace.

"But Namine, you're just so cute, and we love being around you. Especially when you work" Sora grinned and nuzzled into her neck. He gave off a smile when he recalled all the times him and Roxas would always hug her from behind as she dusted or cleaned. It was very difficult for her to move around, but she always got the job done. Although, she would always tell them to stop bothering her and go pester someone else.

It was amazing how Namine never noticed that Sora and Roxas were hanging around constantly—even when she had managed to pry them off of her—because they were afraid she was going to perform one of her famous clumsy acts that could probably kill her.

Oh well, she was more concerned with getting away from the suffocating bastards!

"So, she's your maid?" Tidus asked out in shock.

"And she's actually twenty-one?" Wakka asked in disbelief. There was no way she could be twenty-one!

Riku, seeming to have gotten the unasked question, answered.

"We don't know why she's so small, but we have a feeling it had something to do with her malnourished lifestyle from when she was a child" Riku explained to them.

"So, she's twenty-one" Tidus repeated uncertainly. The five males nodded. They were pretty sure that he wouldn't like Namine as a crush now that they revealed her true age to them.

Silence followed after with no one moving. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Tidus gave off a shrug of her shoulders.

"Oh well, I always liked older women anyway" he replied grinning and a tiny pinkish blush on his cheeks.

"WHAT?!" cue five hot rich males unison anime fall.

* * *

**Karin: okay! There's the special. The next special will air after the series is finished. Hope you all enjoyed that. I thought that was something fun to do on my birthday. **

**Sora: Congrats author-chan!**

**Roxas: Oh joy, a whole year with this idiot and I'm still stuck here. **

**Riku: yes, a whole year. **

**Axel: It seems only yesterday that she was writing the first chapter to this story**

**Demyx: And we only appeared in the third chapter**

**Karin: That's right! It's been over a year!**

**Namine: what's up Karin-chan? **

**Karin: Guys, we're celebrating not just my birthday, but the birthday of Love at First Write becoming one-year-old! **

**Axel: Oh jeez! She's right!  
**

**Roxas: Does this mean we have to buy another cake?**

**Namine, Sora, Demyx: Yay! Happy b-day Love at First Write and to Author-chan!**

**Karin: anyways, hopefully I'll get the official chapter 14 out soon. Hope you enjoyed the special and see you then! **

**Axel: Congo line! **_**(everyone joins the congo line and throws confetti)**_

**See ya next time! **


	15. Namine Narumi: The Repairer

Karin: (throwing confetti in the air) 100

**Karin: **_**(throwing confetti in the air) **_**100! 100! 100! Wooh! Wooh a hundred times over!**

**Roxas: What's with the 100 theme?**

**Sora: did you know? Love at First Write received officially 100 reviews**

**Roxas: Seriously?! **

**Axel: Who would've thought this day would come**

**Riku: Yes, it seemed very unlikely in the beginning to me**

**Demyx: I'm so proud of you Author-chan! **

**Namine: Congrats Karin-chan**

**Karin: **_**(glomps all of them) **_**Awww, thanks guys. But you guys deserve the congrats too. After all, there would be no Love at First Write without you! Especially Namine! Let's give her a round of applause folks! **

_**(audience claps for Namine) **_

**Roxas, Sora, Riku, Demyx, Axel: What about us? **

**Karin: Oh alright. Give them an applause too because no one could pull off the arrogant hot rich bastards except these guys. **

**Guys: **_**(sweat drop) **_**thanks… I think…**

**Karin: Oh! And of course this wouldn't be possible without all the support and reviewers! Give yourselves a pat on the back and treat yourself to a big giant cookie! You deserve nothing less! I'm so happy and thankful for your encouragement and support to this story! **_**(gives the reviewers a super glomp) **_**thank you everyone! **

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts something something something don't own blah blah blah

**Replies to Reviews from Special: **

**Iaveina- **Yes, this story is still alive. I just lost interest in it for a bit due to the constant switching of my fanfiction obsessions. But never fear because I refuse to abandon this story! It's too awesome to die! Anyway, I didn't notice that mistake. Sorry about that but I really did proof read before I put the chapter up. Please forgive me. Oh, and thanks for the happy birthday wishes and the congo is always open for you.

**Nana Potato- **Awww, thank you! (gives you a giant hug) As for the abandonment, I would have to say that it was all Twilight's fault. I read it and then I suffered a major obsession with it leaving my fanfics hanging until it toned down and I think the book is a little mary sueish and sounds like an RPG now that I look back at it, but I enjoy it all the same. Course you can call me Karin-chan, Nana-chan (grins)! And you had my reaction down to your statement perfectly in your review. That's what I really would say, hehe. And yes, Tidus was serious about that statement. He probably will have to take a number though (laughs).

**Angel Aliera- **Here's your awaited update! And thank you for the birthday wishes. I'm sorry if it seemed like I abandoned this story and would never work on it again, but don't worry, I plan to see this story through to the end even if it takes me a very long time to update.

**Mooncry- **Welcome to the congo line! Yes, Namine is very short lol. But that's what makes her so adorable!

**Lebrezie- **Hmm, I don't know, I think they're more mortified that Tidus still likes her despite her being nine years his senior. That's some competition they got there (laughs). I didn't really notice Namine paying attention to Sora and Roxas more, but they seem to me like the mother hen type when it comes to Namine so I wanted to put an example of their mother heness. Yay! I get praises! And yes, I thought the Riku thing was funny too.

**sAppHiRa-hiMe- **Congratulations on being the 100th reviewer! I'm so happy! Cookies to you and I hope you enjoy the other half of the series like you enjoyed the first half.

* * *

**Namine Narumi— The Repairer **

**-**

**-**

**-**

Namine stared blankly as she faced the many faces of her friends and family. The atmosphere was heavy with dead silence. So much awkward tension was suffocating the poor woman that she wanted to high tail it out of there right then and there. She was never good with being the center of attention. Especially when it came to problems that she caused.

Well, she _would've_ scampered if it wasn't for the gentle yet firm grips of Riku and Axel's hand on each side of her shoulders holding her in place. The bastards must've known she would've run if they didn't.

_Can someone please just say _something_ before I jump straight out that window! _Namine pleaded in her mind panicky while her face remained calm and composed. If she would have to fight off her bosses just to do it then she would!

Let Namine explain from the beginning. After she was retrieved by her bosses, she was dragged to the police station where the rest of her family was waiting for her. Namine wanted to go back her apartment to avoid confrontation (plus, she was fricken tired) but oh no! Her evil finders didn't want to hear of it!

**--**

_Flashback _(on the way to the police station)

"_You made them worry. The least you could do is face them to show you're okay" Axel reprimanded her. She was currently being piggy backed by Demyx against her will. _

"_It's not fair to them if you just walked back to your apartment like nothing happened" Sora told her gently. _

"_Yeah, don't be selfish" Roxas agreed. _

"_The best way to avoid awkwardness is to apologize to them for all the trouble you caused" Riku told her in a cold tone. _

"_Nami-chan, don't be mean to people who care about you" Demyx told her. _

_End of Flashback_

**--**

Oh sure, they can _say_ that! But they weren't the ones who had to face everyone! They just stood on the sidelines not dealing with the fricken tension in the room!

Damn. She hated it when people tell her to do something and they don't understand what's it like at all.

It reminded her of all the times when she was a child and her mother left her. People told her it was going to be okay; that they understood what she was going through; that they were going to be there for her.

But it wasn't okay. It was never going to be okay. They didn't see that. Sure, she could get over her mother leaving her, but they don't know the betrayal she felt, the sense of loss, the sense of not being good enough.

The sense of being abandoned.

Yes, she had abandonment issues, she was aware of this. She knew she constantly played the glue to keep everyone from leaving her. She didn't want to be alone. She hated being alone.

Her greatest fear would always be of being alone.

And as she looked upon her family with a blank expression, she couldn't help but feel that fear dwell at the pit of her stomach. Mocking her as they looked upon her with faces of shock and hurt.

_Don't leave, _she silently begged them, _Don't leave me here alone! _

Her independence was something that she desperately depended on. If she didn't have it, she would be desperately trying to keep her family together. To keep them with her. If she was dependent and they left her, Namine wouldn't know how she would deal with the pain of loneliness.

She was protecting herself. Protecting herself from things like this that could result in her family leaving her.

_Stop looking at me like that! _Her mind screamed at them. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be at home and pretend that everything that had happened earlier was a bad dream. But she knew no one would let her have that luxury.

They wanted her to suffer. To face everyone bare; vulnerable; defenseless to their accusing gazes.

To not protect herself against them.

And with that thought breaking her, she finally snapped.

"Stop it! Stop it! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll never leave you again! I'll never let you feel like this again! I swear to you that I won't let you feel like I left you! I'll never leave you!" she cried. Tears were running down her face. Regret was clear on her entire being. Regret for leaving them. Regret for abandoning them.

Regret for acting like that woman who left her.

She would never leave them! Her mind screamed. Not like that ungrateful woman! That woman couldn't see what she had. That she had a loving family and people who cared about her.

But Namine saw. She saw that she was hurting them. She saw that she had worried them. And she realized that they deserved better than her avoiding them to go to her apartment to not risk an awkward confrontation.

They deserved the apology face-to-face. And even though it was difficult. Even though they might leave her. She needed to make it clear that she wasn't going to leave them. She wasn't going to abandon them like her mother abandoned her.

_What I went through, _Namine's eyes narrowed as a flash of herself as a child in despair appeared in her head. She clenched her fists tightly at her sides as she remembered the feelings she had. How she hated everything. How she thought that everyone was a self-righteous hypocrite in her childhood. _They don't deserve that! They don't deserve to experience what I went though. They're precious to me! I won't allow what happened to me happen to them! _

"…because you all are very important to me, and I'm determined to keep you with me" Namine finished with a strong, but gentle tone. A grin was present on her face as she looked upon them. If she had been paying attention to the males behind her, she would've noticed that they all had smiles on their faces and Riku and Axel removed their restraints on her.

All was silent between her audience. None of them looked at her in disgust or scorn. No, it was solemn expressions they had on their faces. Silent and solemn.

Without speaking, Kairi Narumi stepped forward with a sorrowful face. She walked hesitantly towards her blonde counterpart as if the blonde would disappear if she ran to her. Once she was directly in front of her, Kairi's lips trembled for a bit as she shook a little as if she was holding back something.

"I'm sorry Kairi," Namine told her smiling, "I forgot the rule for a bit, but I remember now, can you forgive me?" she asked.

And as if by magic, Kairi let out a cry as she embraced her sister. Sobs racked her body as she held Namine tightly afraid that Namine would leave if she didn't. Namine's eyes were wide for a second before they softened then closed as she hugged her twin back. She rubbed her back in soothing motions and swayed a little. Kairi liked it when Namine swayed her, Namine recalled. It reminded her of the days when little Kairi and little Namine would be together without all the complications of the world. Of the days when Namine swayed Kairi to soft songs on the radio because Kairi asked her to. Because it made Kairi happy to be with her Na-na.

"Thank goodness!" Kairi cried as she sobbed in her twin's shoulder. "Thank goodness you're okay!" Kairi cried out and nuzzled into her neck.

"Shh, I'm here" Namine replied. "I'm here for you. I won't leave you"

"_Na-na, where mama go?" 4-year-old Kairi asked. "Why did mama leave and hasn't come back yet?" she tugged on Namine's sleeve as they lied in bed together. _

_Namine just stroked her head with a sad smile. Her eyes sparked hatred at the mention of that woman, but she couldn't be mad at Kairi. Kairi didn't understand what was going on. Why their mother had left. _

"_She left because she was tired of us, Kairi" Namine replied with a bitter smile. Kairi didn't understand as she looked at her sister with wide innocent violet eyes. Namine then pulled Kairi closer to her and placed her chin on top of Kairi's head with her arms around her. _

"_But don't worry, Kairi" Namine told her. "I'm here for you. I won't leave you" _

"Oi, Old Had" Namine called out as she glared at Tifa. "Where's my greeting? I come all the way here to endure awkward silence and you don't so much as say a word" Namine told her as if not greeting her was a crime committed by the older woman.

Tifa looked surprised at her. Was she waiting for her to greet her? Was her greeting so important to Namine that she would point it out just to get it? Namine usually said something outright if she wanted something. Her blunt nature and inconsiderateness allowed her that ability.

"It's a shame too because I thought _you_ would the first to greet me" Namine continued on with a nonchalant shrug. Kairi had let go of her to be with Cloud who had given a greeting to Namine and told her he was happy she was okay. "After all, you always were" Namine said as she looked off into space.

Tifa was always there. Whenever she came home, Tifa would be there to greet her. To tell her that she had waited forever for her to come home and give her a good natural pat on the head.

"But I guess a simple 'Hey Namine, how's it going?' is a little too much for you. Really, Old Hag, you should go to the doctor's if you're experiencing the curse of senile at that age" Namine said to her while putting her hands on her hips and turning her head.

An anger mark appeared on Tifa's head. That insensitive little runt! She's acting like nothing happened! Of course she comforts Kairi but oh no, Tifa doesn't get that luxury! Namine is too much of an inconsiderate, evil, smart ass, selfish, cocky—

And that's when Tifa took a good look at her. As in really looked at her. That was when she saw it, saw the apology in her blue eyes. The longing for normalcy in this chaotic situation.

"_That would be nice, old hag, but remember no sentimental crap, just the absolute truth, okay?" she asked the brunette. Tifa noticed that "old hag" wasn't said with loathing, it sounded like endearment. _

Namine wanted her to treat her like Namine, not like a child. She wanted Tifa to be there and not make a big deal out of everything like she hadn't the first time Namine confronted her. No sentimental crap, she promised the child.

_Right, nothing but the truth, _Tifa smiled at that. She then went over to Namine with Olette beside her giving her a quiet smile and Fuu shaking her head at Namine's rudeness to Tifa when she had just gotten back from missing for hours.

"Right, right, sorry about that" Tifa apologized to the smaller woman. She patted the mop of blonde hair with a grin. "Welcome back, Namine" Tifa greeted. She felt Namine radiate satisfaction at that.

"Hey Squally, give me love over here!" Namine called to him. Leon's eye was twitching as he heard that. The little midget had some nerve speaking to him like that.

"Don't wanna. You might give me your knack for causing trouble" Leon replied with a cross of his arms.

That was promptly when Namine tackled the older man and began giving him a super noogie.

"What do you mean you're not going to greet me, you ass!? Get over that idiotic male pride of yours and say hello to me!" Namine screeched out as she started pounding him.

"Shut up you damn bitch! Why do I have to greet you anyway?!" Leon yelled back and began pounding her back.

"Because I said so! Deal with it!" Namine shouted at him while flipping him over her shoulder and slamming him into the floor. She then sat on him as he lied on the tiled floor face down cursing her off.

Tifa gave off a little laugh, but Namine caught that it seemed strained. The others were laughing good naturedly, but she caught Kairi's laugh a little wary. The others seemed to have a little tension in their laughs, but she was sure that nothing was wrong with them personally.

_Something happened, _Namine concluded with narrowed eyes. She wouldn't put it past the situation earlier and everything was all honkey dory while she was gone. No doubt the worry must've gotten to them and they lashed out at each other. What they lashed out about Namine had no idea nor did she find it as her place to ask.

With that conclusion, Namine stood up and twirled around excitedly.

"Hey, hey, listen carefully everyone!" Namine said seriously, but the grin on her face contradicted her seriousness. "I learned something very valuable and I believe that I need to share it with you!" she told them while wagging her finger back and forth in front of them.

"What's that?" Fuu asked her with a raised eyebrow. Beside her, Rai looked at her with a curious expression as well. Hayner gave her an expression like she had two heads or something.

"I have decided that I want to move forward" she told them proudly. "I want to be able to not let the past effect me! The future's the most important and I won't be able to enjoy it if I'm too busy wallowing in the past!" she told them.

"I mean, the past is the past. I can't change it no matter how much I want to" Namine explained as she placed her arms behind her head. "But the future isn't set in stone. I make my own choices and make my own future" she said smiling.

That was all she could do for them. She hoped they took her words to heart and decided to move forward instead of dwelling on the bad things in the past. This was all she could do to show them that it was okay now. That they were still here and should live their lives to the fullest it can be.

_It's okay, _she inwardly told them smiling. _I don't know what happened here, but I'm here now. I'm here for you. I'll help you get to the future. _

_Just like you guys are helping me…_

"What kind of crap are you spewing? You drunk or something?" Hayner asked her despite the proud smile on his face.

Well, the smile disappeared as soon as Namine knocked him to the ground like Leon.

"What the hell?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm having a moment, otouto-kun! Don't ruin it!" Namine exclaimed with a grinning face.

"T-that sounds like an excellent i-idea, Namine" Olette quietly let out. She too would like to move forward. To move on from the horrible experience she went through months ago. She thinks—no, she _knows_—Namine will be there for her to help her just like she always is.

"As I was saying, great epiphany Namine!" Hayner said to her while he was smiling at Olette as he rose up from the floor and patted the shorter woman on the head. She responded by biting his hand that was patting her head. "Ow!"

"Idiot" Cloud muttered with a tiny smile. Poor Hayner.

"Yes, truly an idiot" Fuu agreed with him with a nod.

"I like Namine's advice" Kairi said to Cloud. Cloud nodded to her and put his arm around her. He could tell Kairi was still shaken up from her fight with Leon but he could also see that Namine's words had eased her as if she had gotten Namine's message.

"Hn" Leon let out as he stood beside Tifa. The awkwardness was still between them for sure. The confrontation earlier had obviously shaken both of them up, but they would deal with the problem later. Right now, each of them was glad that Namine was safe.

**--**

"Hey, Pops" Namine greeted the auburn haired male as he sat away from the conversing young adults. She sat beside him grateful that everyone was done with cuddling her. She wanted a moment to talk to her father. He didn't really say anything since she came in and they both knew that their conversation was meant to be private while the others were busy.

Even her bosses were distracted—which is very hard to believe, but it was true—and talking to her friends who were laughing with them like they were all old friends. Guess it was a way to get rid of all the tension that had build up from earlier.

"Hey, rascal" he greeted her with a smile and ruffled her blonde locks. She let out a soft chuckle as to not draw attention to them. She then brought her hands up to grasp the hand stroking her head. She held his hand gently and stroked it with her thumbs.

"I made you worry obviously" Namine spoke out breaking their comfortable silence. "I hope it didn't bring back some unwanted memories" she said apologetically referring to the night her mother left and made him go into depression.

A soft chuckle escaped Mr. Narumi's lips as he smiled at his child. His precious and beautiful child. She was truly something. No word could describe how amazing she was to everyone. Amazing to him.

"No, nothing of the sort" he told her resting away her fears. "I'm very glad you're okay Namine. I always knew you would be" he told her.

"You knew I would come back" Namine said. It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

"You always did" Mr. Narumi replied. Namine brought his hand down from her head and caressed it against her chest. "No matter what, you always came back to us" he said to her.

"Do you.." Namine trailed off. Did he know? Did he know what she was doing when she was in her teen years? Did he know of all the bad things she did?

"No," Mr. Narumi answered her. "But I know that you've made the right choices to become who you are today. I'm glad that you had decided that you do have a choice in things and worked to change yourself for the better" he explained to her with pride.

"Some of the choices I made were messed up, really messed up" Namine replied sadly. Her eyes were filled of regret as she thought about her bad choices in the past that really screwed her over.

"Ah, that is true, but you are only human, Namine" her father told her. He used his free hand to caress her cheek and move some hair from her face as he did so. "Humans make mistakes; that's how we learn" he explained.

"You told me that before" Namine said thinking back. "I remember it was your first birthday after your depression and I wanted everything to be prefect, but I accidentally burned the dinner, lost the cake by tripping down the stairs, and didn't have time to clean the apartment. I was so upset and afraid that you wouldn't be happy, but you just smiled and held me saying that it was okay because I was only human and humans make mistakes" Namine smiled softly as she remembered that. Kairi was at school at the time while Namine was doing all of this so she hadn't witnessed Namine's little episode and crying in her father's arms. It was rather funny when she looked back on it.

Her father nodded with a gentle smile on his face.

"You're nothing like her" he said all of a sudden. Namine looked at him in surprise. "You don't have to be afraid of that, Namine. I know you, and you are nothing like her" Mr. Narumi told her in a soothing tone.

"I can't help but be afraid" Namine confessed. "Sometimes I still have nightmares about the day she left and I'll end up just like her" Namine said in a sorrowful voice. "Like I'll abandon everyone like she did" Namine spat out.

"Namine" her father began with a smile. "What she did may have not have been good, but I have forgiven her all the same. She just wanted something more and I couldn't give it to her. Now, it may feel like she didn't love you, but I could see that even though she gave you a hard time, she loved you all the same" Mr. Narumi said.

"Pssh, funny way of showing it" Namine muttered as she narrowed her blue eyes. Her mother thought of her as an embarrassment. She could see it. She was never happy with Namine. Saying that she was a strange child and unusual.

"Did you know that she was afraid you might get teased?" her father asked her smiling kindly. "With the way you acted and were smart, she was afraid people might pick on you for being strange. She was always trying for you to be normal so others won't have a reason to pick on you" her father told her smiling. Namine let out a snort of denial. That woman made her into the angst messed up kid in the first place. Before her mother left, she was very energetic like she was now. Before her mother left, she was able to smile freely without having to bear the horrible memories of her childhood.

_Namine Narumi, two-years-old, wandered around for her father or mother. Her nightlight went out in Kairi's and her room and it bothered the blonde greatly. Kairi was already asleep when it happened so no auburn haired girl was at her heels unlike usual. _

_She was terrified of the dark. She would never admit it, but the dark wasn't really her cup of tea. Nor could she see anything in front of her five inches from her face causing her to bump into things. _

_Namine stopped when she heard her mother speaking quietly on the phone. The brunette woman was talking to someone but Namine didn't know who. _

"_Yes, I'm fine. Everything's okay here" the brunette replied to a question. "No, I don't want to meet you right now, I'm taking Namine and Kairi to the park tomorrow" she said into the phone firmly. The other person seemed to protest, but her mother cut them off. _

"_I'm serious! If I'm not on alert, I could lose one of them. Most likely Namine though. That girl can be such a stubborn pain at times" _

_Namine just stood there unaware to her mother. Her heart ached when her mother said that. Was she really that much trouble? She knew she was outspoken and very adventurous and acted different from all the other girls, but did her mother really find her as a burden? _

"_Yes, sometimes I think that Namine was only put in this world to only cause trouble…" _

_Namine didn't hear anymore as she numbly walked back to her room. She suddenly didn't care about the darkness anymore. _

"Whatever you say, Pops, but I know better than that" Namine told him bitterly. Her father continued stroking her cheek. He wasn't mad at her for her reply. If Namine didn't want to let go of her mother leaving that was her choice. The fact that she's not letting it rule her life was what he was proud of her for. The fact that she was moving forward despite that setback.

"Whatever you say, Namine" her father repeated her. Yes, Namine was nothing like her mother. Namine was special in her own way. Perhaps if her mother was still here, maybe she could see how much Namine's uniqueness made her special.

_I don't know whether you would care or not, _Mr. Narumi thought, _but I'm going to say it anyway, our children grew up beautifully. _He looked upon his oldest child with a gentle loving smile and stroked her cheek. She looked back at him with shining blue eyes, like the woman he had loved, with unconditional love for him and happiness.

_Yes, very beautifully. _

**--**

"What do you mean I have to go to a hospital?!" Namine asked in outrage. The others backed away from her as Leon and Tifa shook their heads used to her anger.

"It's just as a precaution to make sure you didn't catch anything" Tifa told her.

"Yeah, who knows what kind of diseases you have now" Leon said.

"Nonsense, I feel perfectly fine. Nothing to worry about" Namine told them. Really, they could be worry warts at times. All that worrying was going to give them gray hairs.

"Right, having cuts all over yourself covered in mud and being out in the rain with nothing but ripped pants made into shorts and short sleeves has done nothing hazardous to your health" Leon replied sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea. You should get checked up" Axel told her.

"I ain't going to any hospital!" Namine screeched at them.

"I think you should go too" Kairi said as she looked at her sister in worry. Olette nodded beside her also looking concerned.

"Sheesh, you guys act like I'm about to drop dead right here" Namine muttered as she crossed her arms.

"All who think Nami-chan should go to the hospital raise their hands!" Demyx called out.

Everyone except Namine raised their hand.

"What? You can't be serious!" Namine whined.

"You might have to get a shot too" Cloud said.

"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

* * *

**Karin: Okay! Here's the first episode to the other half of season one! Hope that everyone enjoyed it. I was listening to "I don't wanna miss a thing" by Aerosmith while writing this. I think it gave me inspiration on the talk between Mr. Narumi and Namine. It seems like a song Namine and her father would dance to if she got married, don't you think? **

**Guys: we were hardly ever in there! **

**Karin: It ain't about you! It's about Namine! Deal with it! **

**Namine: I actually liked it. **

**Guys: Well… if Namine likes it…**

**Karin: There you go! So, hope that everyone enjoyed this as for the celebration of the 100****th**** review. A toast to Love at First Write!**

**Guys and Namine: Cheers! **

**Karin: Okay, everybody! Congo line! That includes the readers! Happy 100****th**** review! **

_**(ends with a congo line) **_

Preview for Chapter 15 (yeah, haven't seen one of these in a while):

"_Ooh! Look at the otters! They're so cute!" Namine squealed out as she pressed her face near the glass to watch the playful sea otters swimming around in front of her on the other side of the glass. Her eyes were shining with childlike innocence and she radiated enthusiasm as she looked at them. _

"_They're just otters. It's nothing to get excited over" Roxas told her as he stood a little off to the side, but a soft smile was on his features as he watched her. _

End of preview:

**See ya next time! **


	16. Namine Narumi: The Dater

Karin: Hey guys

**Karin: Hey guys! What's up? **

**Axel: Just picking at your stories**

**Riku: Have nothing better to do**

**Karin: What? What's wrong with my stories? **

**Roxas: Well—everything **

**Karin: **_**(teary eyed) **_**you're hurting my feelings!**

**Sora: Aw, don't cry Author-chan! They're just jealous because they can't write for crap!**

**Demys: Yeah! We'll always be loyal to you! Which is why we're your favorites, right? **

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would buy myself an orange soda fountain. Sadly, that will never happen.

**Replies to Reviews from Chapter 14: **

**Mooncry- **Yes, hospitals are truly evil. I think I might be a hospital phob.

**Angel Aliera- **Aw, I'm glad I made your day more bearable. It's true that a good fanfiction can make your day better. I had it happen to me a lot too.

**Nana's Potato- **I don't get that saying either, Nana-chan. Don't worry about the "I love ya" sayings because I won't take it the wrong way. I say it all the time to my friends—I'm a very affectionate person—and no one cares and they say it to me too. I'm very happy that you enjoy my writing. It makes me very goofy and sugar high. Sorry, I'm a little crazy at the moment too—I'm currently drinking orange soda and just got back from crazy town. The weather is very pleasant there this time of year (laughs). Anyway, yes it was mentioned before that Namine didn't like needles. It's in chapter six. Now, your Karin-chan will leave you to read the chapter to enjoy!

**Iaveina- **(hugs you back) thank you for not scorning me for the typo! I know that's not the only typo in this story, but I'm still happy I'm forgiven. You're right though, typos are the natural way of life in fanfiction.

**Kit-Kat-Wafer- **thank you, thank you. I hope you continue to enjoy yourself.

**Lebrezie- **I am so sorry for crushing your fangirlish dreams! I was putting some Roxas/Namine and Sora/Namine in that chapter, really! That's how they were showing their feelings for Namine! I know what it means to be a major fangirl! It was at Otakon and I was chasing down some Roxas and Sora cosplayers all over the place. Sorry, really hyped up on orange soda at the moment. Anyways, I think this chapter will give you the fangirl moments you rightfully deserve.

……………………………**..**

**Recap: **

"All who think Nami-chan should go to the hospital raise their hands!" Demyx called out.

Everyone except Namine raised their hand.

"What? You can't be serious!" Namine whined.

"You might have to get a shot too" Cloud said.

"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

**End of Recap: **

* * *

**Namine Narumi— The Dater**

**-**

**-**

**-**

A week has passed for our favorite blonde midget, and things couldn't have been more normal. Sure, there was the new GPS tracking device she was forced to wear by her bosses, Tifa sleeping outside her apartment door, Kairi calling her every hour on the hour, and Leon buying her orange soda without a catch…

…okay, so maybe it wasn't normal, but she didn't complain about the free orange soda.

Namine placed down a glass of lemonade in front of Demyx as the five men were sitting in one of the lounging rooms in the mansion. Despite the drop in temperature from the December cold air, it was very sunny and so they had decided to have breakfast in the room with a glass wall looking outside into the city.

_Stupid rich bastards, _that thought was more of a reflex now. Even so, she still thought they were idiots at times. Guess experiencing the most wackiest things you wouldn't expect to witness in a normal lifetime did that to her.

Namine listened quietly as the five men were discussing something about business. After all, it was none of her concern to inquire. Besides, it sounded so dull. She briefly wondered how they could take it day in and day out.

_Oh well, not my problem, _the young woman shrugged.

She was just finished with giving the men their breakfast and then could go to the kitchen to have some peace of mind. As she placed the scrambled eggs and toast in front of Roxas, the comfortable atmosphere turned tense dramatically.

The others stopped their discussion as they watched with apprehension. They waited for the silence to be broken by one of Roxas's usual insults, but today there was none.

All this week there was none.

It scared the men out of their wits to see Roxas not insult Namine. Roxas lived to insult things in general! The fact that he wasn't really baiting the young woman was very terrifying.

Who was this guy and what did he do with their cocky blonde friend?!

They had noticed his behavior after Namine's little disappearance last week. Sure, he was normal around them, but when Namine was around, it was like he was practicing to be a stiff quiet ghost! It was maddening!

And so, the four men had spent all week observing their blonde friend in order to discover something. And how is this discovery hunting going, you ask…?

…Downright, absolutely, positively sucky…

None of them could figure out what Roxas's problem was. He wasn't really one to talk about his feelings to begin with, but the fact that they couldn't figure what was wrong with him was insane! He didn't even take Axel and Demyx's baiting as he usually did anymore.

All they had to go on was that it had something to do with Namine.

Now, they weren't blaming the blonde woman. No, of course not, but they couldn't deny that she was the source of Roxas's problem. For after all, Roxas was doing the one thing that he would never do.

Roxas was ignoring Namine.

That conclusion in itself was shocking. Even though they had no idea why Roxas was ignoring Namine, he was indeed ignoring her. Roxas—and neither have them, they might add—hasn't ignored Namine _ever_. To have him ignoring their housekeeper was completely unheard of!

Namine was oblivious to all of this, of course. She didn't show any signs that Roxas's new attitude was bothering her. Even if she did notice it, she was hiding the fact that she did very well! Well, they guessed they couldn't really blame the woman. After all, Namine was more preoccupied with her work than ogling them like one of their fangirls would.

Although, sometimes they wished she _did_ ogle them instead of her work…

Never mind about fantasying about Namine ogling them! They had bigger problems on their hands!

Such as get Roxas back to normal.

**--**

"Namine! I'm so happy to see you!" Kairi cried as she embraced her older sister to her bosom tightly.

"Can't…breathe…" Namine choked out. She was hacking for air as Kairi crushed her spine. Oh, her poor spine…

"I wanna choke—hug, Namine too!" Tifa shouted as she joined in suffocating the poor blonde.

Leon stood on the sidelines simply watching Namine get the life choke out of her. The heartless git…

As for Namine, she was too busy squirming out of her captors' hold. She glared at Leon with outrage as he watched her get suffocated.

"You damn prick! Get in here and help me!" she demanded the brown haired male.

"No way, this saves me the time from killing you myself" Leon replied and produced a batch of popcorn out of nowhere and began eating it.

"DAMN YOU!! WHEN I GET FREE SQUALLY, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU NEVER HAVE CHILDREN!!" Namine screeched at him.

"Yeah, you do that" Leon said not really caring.

For the past week, Leon, Kairi, and Tifa had been picking up Namine from work. Apparently they didn't trust the young woman to get home by herself anymore these days. Nightmares full of Namine being kidnapped and cuddled by someone else scarred their dreams.

Of course, Namine didn't mind the company. It made walks home more entertaining. Nevertheless, she wished they would stop choking her to death. She loved hugs but this was just ridiculous!

"Okay, I think the little lady had enough suffocation for one night" Axel intervened. He plucked Tifa and Kairi off the blonde woman who then immediately dropped ungracefully to the ground.

"…need… air…" she gasped out. Demyx and Sora lifted her back up from the ground as Namine supplied her lungs with oxygen.

"Why did you stop them? I would've been rid of a blonde midget in ten seconds?" Leon asked jokingly. Or at least, Namine and Tifa could tell it was a joke since they've known him all their lives.

"Go screw yourself, Squally" Namine told him. "Just for that comment, you'll be taking me to get a cream orange soda at the nearest bar"

"I could use a bar drink" Tifa chimed in.

"Let's go to the bar then!" Namine cheered while pumping her fist in the air. "They have the best Philly cheese steaks ever! Plus, the football game I wanted to watch is probably on" she added.

"Do I look like a piggy bank to you?" he asked the two women.

"Yes" they both replied without hesitation.

Kairi laughed at the display. Sure, the awkwardness between the three of them was still there, but Namine seemed to be beating it down with a stick more and more with each passing day until there was no awkwardness left. None of them had talked about the incident a week ago, but they were getting over the awkwardness and able to share each other's company again.

"Excuse me, Ms. Narumi" Riku approached the auburn haired woman. Kairi faced him with a confused expression. Meanwhile, Leon was arguing with Tifa and Namine in the background about him not being their personal piggy bank or something. Sora, Demyx, and Axel observed Riku from the corner of their eye with suspicion. Roxas was inside the mansion not wanting to deal with Namine's entourage at the moment.

"Erm… yes?" she asked the silver haired man uncertainly.

"I have a favor to ask of you…"

**--**

Sleep. Ah what a wonderful thing. No noise. No trouble. No worries.

…no sister bursting through your apartment door loudly that you were sure even China could hear her…

"NAMINE!!" Kairi exclaimed out happily. She walked over to the blob of blankets that was her sister. "Rise and shine, Namine!"

A groan under the mass of blankets was her only reply.

"Come on, you can't be lying in bed all day" Kairi said as she placed her hands on her hips.

Another groan sounded and a little mess of blonde hair peaked from under the covers. Sapphire eyes looked up at the auburn haired woman in irritation.

"Kairi, big sister has a hangover right now. We'll play later" Namine replied and went back under the covers.

"How can you have a hangover when you didn't have alcohol?" Kairi asked skeptically.

"Says you, I mixed some apple martinis with my orange soda. The combination was heaven, but the morning after is downright hell" Namine replied to her twin. Another groan of pain came again as the blonde held her head. God, this headache was murder!

It was then that the comfort of her covers was ripped away from her as Kairi snatched them and threw them off the couch bed leaving Namine bare in only sweatpants and a t-shirt. Namine shivered at the contact with the cold air and glared at Kairi.

"You know, I need those. The heater isn't exactly working, you know" Namine pointed out completely ignoring the reason why Kairi had taken away her blankets in the first place. She made a grab for the blankets, but Kairi stopped her.

"Oh no, you don't! It's a nice day and I want to go out!" Kairi said to her.

"Can't we go out tomorrow?" Namine whined.

"No! When I ask for a date, Namine, I mean today, not tomorrow!" Kairi wagged a finger at her. "Now get up and get ready for our date!" she commanded.

"Ugh… Fine" Namine grumbled knowing full well she lost. There was no way Kairi would leave her alone now. Curse Leon's egging to put alcohol in her drink last night!

Just as Namine was finished with breakfast and brushing her teeth, her apartment door opened again and two newcomers stepped inside.

"Eh? This is Namine's apartment? Amazing! It's the first time I've seen a commoner's apartment! Don't you think it amazing, Zexion?" a female voice asked excitedly.

"At least she keeps it clean…" the second voice replied with a sweat drop. Obviously, he was more in tuned with the commoner world to figure out that not all commoners lived in a small apartment like this.

"Oi, what's up in here?" Namine asked when she came out of her bathroom. There, in her living room stood Yuffie and Zexion. She felt a smile uplift her features and raced towards them.

"What's up? I haven't seen you guys in ages!" Namine said to them. Yuffie squealed and embraced her while Zexion patted the blonde's messy head.

"We're here on Ms. Narumi's request" Zexion told her.

"Request? For what?" Namine asked confused as Yuffie released her. She backed up a little when she saw the Cheshire cat grin on Yuffie's face.

"You'll see" Yuffie said and started backing her into a corner. Namine's eyes were wide and warning signals were going haywire in her mind.

Retreat! They screamed. Retreat!

"Wait, what are you—"she was then tackled by the black haired woman and felt her taking off her pajamas.

:"Shut up and strip!" Yuffie cried. Zexion had the decency to turn away while Kairi stood at the doorway with a smile and waved.

"Bye Namine, I'll meet you at the fountain in Uptown square/plaza at eleven o'clock sharp when you're done getting fixed up" and with that, Kairi shut the door leaving Namine to certain doom.

"NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

**--**

Another irritated glance at his watch and he was ready to call those idiots he calls friends. Saying they would all meet up here at 10:45 to do whatever his friends planned and then to keep him waiting was enough to make him call them up on their cell phones and yell their ears off for keeping him waiting.

Roxas ran a hand through his spiky locks in impatience. He originally planned the day to fix up some of his skateboards and see if he could nail that new trick he'd been dying to try. Since with being the second CEO of his company and looking after their crazy housekeeper was enough to keep him busy for centuries, he didn't really have much time to do things he loved doing when he was younger and not have to fulfill all the responsibilities of an adult.

However, as he was getting up from bed this morning, his friends had burst into his bedroom—without knocking, he might add begrudgingly—and told him they were doing something special today and needed him at the fountain in Uptown square at exactly 10:45.

Course, it would've been non hypocritical of them to _also_ show up at 10:45! If he knew they were going to be late, he would've just blown them off all together.

They even forced him to wear a combination of clothes they just bought. As if he couldn't dress himself! It was insulting!

Indeed, the man did look good, though. He wore dark blue jeans, a pair of runners, a lean long sleeve black shirt that was a little bit loose but fit his form perfectly, a dark brown overcoat that reached to almost his knees, and a blue scarf that hung loosely around his neck with black gloves due to the cold weather.

Girls were staring left and right at the handsome man, but he was too preoccupied with thoughts of murdering his friends. He wondered what death would be more suitable: drowning? maiming? stabbing? Hmm… there was always pushing them off the empire state building…

"Roxas?" a female voice asked surprised.

Roxas was pulled out of his thoughts of killing his best friends to face the all too familiar voice. When he turned around, he was shocked beyond belief.

It was Namine; and yet, it wasn't Namine for she was without her big thick glasses—contacts probably— exposing her pretty face, and her hair—that had grown a little since he met her—was down and slightly layered stylishly (a/n: like in the game). She wore a tan overcoat that reached to her knees covering her outfit from his view, but he saw that her slim petite legs were covered with black stockings, and she was wearing black slip on shoes with a slight heel to them. Her scarf, a cardinal red, was tucked snuggly around her neck to keep it warm. No gloves were present on her hands as he saw they were manicured.

He stared as his mouth opened and closed gapingly. Normally, the blonde looked to be a twelve year old, but like this, she looked like she was fourteen or fifteen!

_Must be the lack of bagginess, _he thought dryly.

"You know, if you keep your mouth opened long enough, you'll catch flies" Namine told him bluntly.

Yup, that was the blonde housekeeper alright.

Roxas composed himself and looked down at her. It felt weird, being in her presence after not talking to her at all for the past week. It soon developed into tension. What was she doing here? And like that no less? It wasn't like she didn't look good but the Namine he knew would never doll herself up like this.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her. He kept his cool around her and gone with the first and most curious question.

"Date" she simply replied. To this, Roxas felt his blood boil. She had a date? Who was the asshole who dared try to court their maid?!

"With who?" he asked with an undertone of jealously but luckily Namine didn't notice it.

"Kairi" the blonde woman shrugged. Roxas calmed down after that. "She was supposed to meet me here but it seems like she bailed out at the last minute. Probably off making out with Cloud or something" Namine muttered the last part to herself.

Nonetheless, her curiosity soon took over as she wondered what Roxas was doing here. Without her other bosses no less!

"What are _you_ doing here?" she asked him truly astonished, as if she couldn't believe she was only in his presence instead of the usual five clingy presences she's used to. "You have date or something?" she teased him causing the male to scoff at her suggestion.

"Don't be stupid. As if I would spend my time doing something like that" he replied.

"Well, excuse me for assuming. I just thought since the others weren't here that you were on a date" Namine told him with half lidded eyes.

"I do have a life, you know" Roxas retorted. "It's not like my whole world revolves around them" he crossed his arms. Namine had to smile at that.

"True, but you seem the happiest when you are with them" Namine replied smiling. Roxas turned his head away from her to prevent her from seeing his blush.

"Whatever" he told her. He then opted for looking at anything but her. The awkwardness was just too uncomfortable for him. Where were those morons?

"Hey" Namine said suddenly bringing Roxas's attention back to her. "You wanna do something? I mean, it looks like we've both been stood up so why not enjoy the day together?" she suggested nonchalantly. However, on the inside, she was hopeful.

Truth be told, Namine had caught on to Roxas not talking to her. She wondered what she did to piss him off this time. She figured that spending time with him would get him to fess up on what was wrong.

I mean, it was hard not to notice Roxas's lack of insults. The fact that he wasn't talking to her or insulting her caused her to feel a certain absence. It wasn't the same fun with her bosses if one of them wasn't with them.

She missed him.

There, she said it. She _missed_ Roxas. No need to grin and go "Aww" because it was only natural to miss something that has become a big part of your life. She would miss any of her bosses if they disappeared from her life.

Wait! That's not what she meant! She meant to say that she would never miss any of her bosses! Stop laughing at her confusion and nodding your head saying "Sure, I believe you" when you really don't!

"…Fine, got nothing better to do" Roxas replied, and with that the duo had decided to go have lunch and make plans on what they would do.

**--**

"Operation: Date is a success!" Kairi cheered as she hid behind a telephone pole. She clenched her fist to her bosom as she watched Namine and Roxas walk off together towards an outdoor café. She then turned towards her companions and grinned "I told you this would work!"

Her happy expression turned to one of confusion as she saw a gloomy cloud over the four men accompanying her.

"It's not fair! Why does Roxas get to take Namine out on a date?" Axel complained.

"I agree, especially when she looks like that! I mean, she's so adorable! It's blasphemy to just sit back and allow Roxas to woe Nami-chan!" Demyx whined waving his arms.

"Yes, it does seem like our loss" Riku said.

"No offense, Ms. Narumi, but your plan isn't really liked" Sora told her sincerely, but the fact that he couldn't go on a date with Namine either was saddening.

Kairi furrowed her eyebrows at them. She then bonked them on their heads just as Namine would've done.

"You guys are morons! If you all like Namine, you must be willing to share her! She can't be suffocated by all of you at once all the time! Besides, this is to help Mr. Tsukatori and Namine to be back to normal again! You can all take her out on dates afterwards, alright?" she asked them.

The four men dejectedly nodded. She was right, all of them liked Namine and must be willing to share her individually just as in a group. But still…

…why did Roxas have to be the one to spend time with Namine dressed up!?

"Anyway, why did you make Roxas wait fifteen minutes?" Axel asked.

"It's because he would get frustrated and decide to ditch us, isn't that right, Kai-chan?" Demyx asked her.

"No, I just wanted Namine to be fashionably late" Kairi giggled causing her comrades to sweat drop.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, this may be Namine's first official date" Kairi said as an afterthought causing the men to do a unison anime fall.

_Damn it all! Roxas, you better not mess this up! _

**--**

Roxas sneezed as he and Namine were walking in silence to the aquarium. They had decided to check out the new exhibit there, and since Namine loved sea animals, they chose to go there as their first destination.

"You okay?" Namine asked him.

"Fine" he replied. Namine was still looking at him in concern, "What?" he asked her.

"Nothing," she told him, "Just wondering whose hit list you winded up on"

**--**

"Nn! Roxas! Do something dammit! Don't just walk beside her like a mime!" Axel shouted in outrage. The others held him back as Axel was close to blowing their cover and giving Roxas a piece of his mind on dating.

"Stop! You'll ruin the mission!" Kairi said as she pulled him away from Roxas and Namine.

"He does have a point though, Roxas has no experience in being romantic whatsoever" Sora said.

"You're not helping!" Anger marks appeared on the three other people restraining the pyro as they shouted at him.

**--**

Once the duo had purchased their tickets, they chose to walk around the aquarium without any specific section in mind. The exhibit on sharks wasn't until 1:50 so they had time to kill until then.

For the most part, Namine and Roxas's "date" had been filled with silence. Neither one spoken unless it was necessary nor did they try to attempt a conversation. So far it was just checking out the many fishes in the hallways in awkward silence.

As the two of them walked along, Namine's eyes avoided Roxas and vice versa. She was observing the windows with tense shoulders from being next to the man beside her. This was not how she had imagined her first trip to the aquarium to be.

Ever since she was little, she had always wanted to go to the aquarium. Sadly, they didn't have one in the slums nor could they afford to go to one. Tifa had described her visit with excitement and enthusiasm to Namine when the young girl inquired about it. She loved marine life and many things about the ocean. It always fascinated her.

Suddenly, something caught her eye and Namine squealed excitedly. Roxas was startled when he heard the squeal and turned to see that Namine had run over to one of the windows.

"Ooh! Look at the otters! They're so cute!" Namine squealed out as she pressed her face near the glass to watch the playful sea otters swimming around in front of her on the other side of the glass. Her eyes were shining with childlike innocence and she radiated enthusiasm as she looked at them.

"They're just otters. It's nothing to get excited over" Roxas told her as he stood a little off to the side, but a soft smile was on his features as he watched her.

"Yeah, but this is my first time actually seeing otters! I've only seen sea otters in books so I guess it's all amazing to me" Namine told him sheepishly.

"Haven't you been to an aquarium before?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Not really" Namine replied embarrassed. She then turned back to the window and saw a sea otter swim up to her from the other side of the glass. "This is my first time" she admitted.

Roxas was then reminded of Namine's childhood as he recalled her father's apartment. That's right, he told himself, Namine couldn't do things that normal children got to experience because of poverty.

"I think Kairi went to the aquarium once for a field trip. I didn't go to school since we could only pay for one of us to get an education. Naturally, Kairi went because I could just teach myself knowledge" Namine explained.

"You never went to school?" he asked her shocked. It was strange; after learning so much, he still didn't know much about her.

"Nope" she replied making a pop sound with the "p". "But I learned from Kairi bringing home her schoolwork and such. I remember I used to send in papers to Kairi's teachers for a second opinion. One of her 5th grade teachers—her biology one—came to our apartment one day and told my dad that the paper she read from me was near high school level or higher. She was exceptionally pleased with my love of biology. I especially liked marine biology more than anything" Namine explained.

"How about now?" he asked her now looking at the otters as well. The one that was looking at Namine had brought over friends and they began playing games in front of them for entertainment. Namine let out a laugh as she looked at them.

"My interest in marine biology is still as strong as ever" Namine said. "I actually wanted to be a marine biologist—specifically a shark specialist—when I was younger. That was my dream, but then the Old Hag had wanted to open a newspaper column so I switched to becoming a writer instead. At that time, she really needed me so I couldn't tell her I was going to travel the world to research on sharks—such amazing creatures they are—when I was all grown up. I couldn't just leave everyone when they needed me around" Namine talked with a tone of sadness.

Now that he thought about it, at lunch when he mentioned the shark exhibit, Namine immediately pleaded to go. She looked so earnest and eager at that time. It was shocking to find this out about her. She never gave off the impression that she wanted to be something else besides a writer. That she wanted to travel the world and discover new things.

She had given it up. Her dream for others. It wasn't fair to her, he knew. It wasn't right to him that she had given up so easily for others. Namine was stubborn, and yet, she was kind. The girl was contradiction within itself.

And yet, he couldn't help but be thankful that she was here. Right now, with them, with him. The fact that he had met her, spent time with her, was with her now, it made him feel alive and awake for the first time in his life. Like he was dead and dreaming before he met her. Then, when Namine came, it was like he was seeing everything again for the first time. She changed him. She made him a better person.

And now she was standing here before him, being here with him. It made him feel like the most important person in the world—no, universe. Like he was in the middle of a supernova full of colors and sounds.

Even though he was sad for her loss, he couldn't help but be thankful for his find.

**--**

"Great! We lost them!" Kairi muttered to herself. It was past three o'clock now.

"Well, if we weren't so distracted with the aquarium, we wouldn't have lost our main objective in the first place" Riku said looking at the three culprits who were the first ones to be distracted.

Sora, Axel, and Demyx grinned sheepishly as Riku looked at them.

"Oh! There they are!" Demyx said as he noticed Roxas and Namine coming out of the aquarium. Namine was talking animatedly as Roxas chuckled at something she said. The wannabe ninjas were even more surprised to find that smiles were present on both blondies' faces.

"Did we miss something?" Axel asked.

"Apparently" Sora replied.

**--**

"That was so awesome! I had no idea that the tiger shark was the one with the most dangerous bite instead of the great white! All this time I thought it was the great white with the most dangerous bite!" Namine said astounded (A/n: this fact is actually true. A tiger shark can cleanly sever a limb off with just one bite while a great white would have some difficulty doing that).

"Well, it seems even _you_ learn something new everyday" Roxas replied.

"Yeah, too bad Kairi wasn't here to see that. I'm sure she would've loved it" Namine said sadly.

**--**

"I'm right here sister!" Kairi cried as she struggled against the four males' grips to get to Namine.

"What about ruining the plan?" Axel asked her with a sweat drop on his head.

**--**

The sun was traveling towards the end of its road with it being five in the afternoon. Namine and Roxas had been walking around the plaza looking at the merchandise through the windows. They were completely comfortable in the other's presence and the earlier awkwardness was long forgotten.

As for currently, they were seated in a small restaurant in the plaza. Unlike the last time, Namine was not prejudiced upon nor was this restaurant as classy. The staff was very friendly and they even helped her when she was having trouble with the menu. Roxas had also provided assistance with a laugh at Namine's concentrated expression. As if the meal she chose was between life and death.

"You're so weird" he told her grinning.

"Like you're one to talk" Namine retorted with a beaming smile. Her jacket was removed revealing a creamy white turtle neck that hugged her body and a black plaited skirt reaching past her mid thigh.

It was then that their food arrived and the two continued chatting like they were good friends all their lives.

**--**

"I don't think we need to be here anymore" Sora told the others.

"Yes, things seem fine between them again. It's best if we call it a day" Riku agreed.

"But I wanna keep watching" Demyx whined.

"It's best if we split, Dem. You know, in case Roxas gets home before we do" Axel said.

_He'd kill us if he found out the truth, _the four men shuddered.

"Yeah, besides, my work here is done" Kairi said. She then held up a video camera happily. "And I got the whole thing on tape—well, most of it anyway—I think I'll call it 'Nami's first date'. What do you think?"

The gloom cloud had once again appeared on the four males as they all headed home.

**--**

"Man, I am stuffed" Namine said as they exited the restaurant. She gently patted her stomach as they walked along.

"I'm surprised you didn't explode from all the food you ate. You a black hole or something?" Roxas asked her. Namine laughed his comment off.

"Nah, but Squally does tell me I have a high metabolism. That's why I'm so short and all" Namine replied. She rubbed her hands together as the cold air made her breath visible. Wasn't it warmer this morning?

Roxas seemed to have noticed she was rubbing her hands together and took off one of his gloves. He handed it to Namine to which she looked at him confused.

"Here, that way at least one of our hands are warm" he said. Namine began protesting saying she didn't need it. Roxas felt himself get annoyed "Come on, it's not like I have germs or something"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it" Namine told him stubbornly. Roxas felt his eye twitch. This girl…

It was then that Roxas decided to take matters into his own hands and grabbed her left hand against her protests. He then slid the glove on it despite Namine's pathetic struggles to get out of his grip. Man, Roxas was strong.

"Thank me later when you don't have frost bite" Roxas said completely ignoring the steaming blonde. He then took her bare right hand and held it with his now bare left hand.

"What are you doing?!" Namine exclaimed with a pink flush.

"Well since you cost me my glove, my hand will be freezing unless I hold yours to generate body heat to keep it warm" Roxas replied simply. And with that, the blonde male pulled the blonde female along towards the movie theater.

"B-b-but…" Namine tried to think of some excuse, but found none. So, she just sighed in defeat and let Roxas hold her hand.

Too bad she didn't realize they both had pockets to put their hands in…

**--**

The duo was sitting in the middle of the movie theater. The movie premiering was _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_. Personally, he wasn't really into this stuff, but Namine—like Sora—was a major occult manic so he thought he should take her to see something she liked. Sora told him though that the movies tended to butcher the books very badly. He remembered the brunette ranting about it for hours on end in outrage. He even started a forum online talking about all the Harry Potter movie mistakes.

That's when Roxas learned to never ask Sora about Harry Potter.

Meanwhile, Namine was dozing in and out of consciousness. The movie… was… so… bad! They butchered the book horribly. It wanted to make a Harry Potter fan start a forum talking about all the mistakes just watching it. Sure, the effects were good and all, but keep to the book for crying out loud! They missed a lot of important info in the movies!

Finally, the sleepy side of Namine conquered the waking side and Namine's head plopped softly on Roxas's shoulder who was in the seat right of her.

Roxas felt a plop on his shoulder and turned to look at Namine fast asleep. He couldn't help but smile softly as he looked at her peaceful expression. He gently moved some hair out of her face and let her sleep on.

Watching her was better than watching the movie anyway.

**--**

"…there was too many mistakes" Namine said sleepily with a yawn. "God, I just want to write a forum talking about how they butchered J.K. Rowling's book" at this statement, Roxas had to wonder if all Harry Potter fans had that urge as well or if it was just the ones he knew.

Namine held his hand as they walked along the sidewalk. Due to the cloudy sky, Roxas had taken it upon himself to escort her back to her apartment. He figured just keeping that fact to himself and keep the blonde distracted to not realize what he was doing was the best thing. She would surely try to convince him otherwise if he said he would escort her home.

As the two of them walked, a disturbance not too far off was occurring. People were crowding but not one was helping the poor woman in rags as some men were harassing her. The crowd around them watched in glee as the woman was pushed to the ground.

Namine narrowed her eyes in distaste. She felt white hot rage settle in as she looked upon the scene. How dare they! How dare they treat her like that! She shouted in her mind.

Without even realizing it, Namine let go of Roxas's hand and raced towards the scene. Her mind was only filled with the poor woman being tortured for her low status. That woman had done nothing wrong, Namine could see, and yet they were treating her as if she had committed a terrible crime! It was sickening to say the least.

"Oi!" Roxas called out and tried to stop her, but her small size allowed her to slip from his grasps. Once she pushed herself through the crowd, she let her fist fly.

Her fist hit the guy who was holding the woman by her collar on the cheek hard. The force of it caused him to let go of the woman and be sent flying.

"What kind of man treats a lady with disrespect?!" Namine screamed at him. Her glare was intense and fierce as fire. One of the guy's friends charged at her from behind but she easily maneuvered and caught his arm twisting it behind his back. The man let out a cry of pain before Namine kicked him to the ground. She then turned to look at the crowd who were staring at her in disbelief.

"And you! What kind of sick people are you?!" she screeched at them angrily. "This woman has done nothing wrong and yet you treat her like trash! Let me tell you something, you guys aren't trash! You're _worse_ than trash!" Namine yelled at them.

"Shut your mouth, bitch!" another guy shouted at her and aimed a punch at her face. Namine caught it and clenched his fist in her hand hard. A cracking sound was heard as the guy yelled "She broke my hand!" he yelled.

As the third guy was nursing his hand, Namine looked at the other harassers and spectators with a cold glare.

"Fuck off" she said coldly. And with that, the crowd disappeared as well as the guys harassing the woman. Said woman was on the ground looking at Namine in true astonishment.

"You okay?" Namine asked the woman who looked to be in her late thirties. Having realized that Namine had saved her, she beamed with appreciation.

"Yes, thank you so much! I was just minding my own business and all of a sudden, these men started pushing me around. I didn't know what to do" she said to the younger woman.

"Be careful from now on, okay?" Namine implored her. The woman nodded and thanked her again before leaving.

Namine sighed in relief as she watched the woman disappear. Thank god that didn't escalate into something more violent before she stepped in.

However, Namine's relief was short lived as Roxas stomped up to her with an angry glare. The intensity of it caused Namine to be afraid a little bit.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" he yelled at her. "I was just about to get help! But you had to go and play the hero, didn't you?! You realize that all those people could've ganged up on you?!" Roxas shouted at her.

"I was helping that woman! If I didn't step in, she would've been hurt!" Namine felt anger course through her veins.

"Someone else would've done that! Like a police officer or something! Stop rushing into things and being an idiot! You could get hurt!" he yelled at her.

"I'm not weak! I can take care of myself just fine! I don't need people like you dotting on me 24/7!" Namine screeched at him.

Silence reigned between them as their glares clashed. Fire and Ice. Namine's fiery glare and Roxas's icy glare. It seemed like neither one of them would cave.

"Fine" Roxas said through gritted teeth. "You don't need anybody; then go rot yourself! See if I care!" Roxas ended it and stomped off leaving an angry Namine.

**--**

Namine took deep breaths as she bottled up her thoughts. She wanted desperately to scream out and punch something! Dammit! Everything was making her pissed off!

Stupid Roxas! She thought was contempt. What was the big deal anyway?! It was only five guys! She could take care of herself! He didn't need to make such a big deal of crap like this!

"He didn't have to blow up at me like that" Namine muttered as she walked towards her apartment. "Nothing bad happened" Namine whispered. The words he said rang clear in her head.

"_You don't need anybody; then go rot yourself! See if I care!" _

Namine clenched her eyes shut as the words repeated themselves in her head loud and clear. She shot protests in her mind, but no matter what she did, the words just wouldn't disappear. In fact, they seemed to have gotten louder.

Suddenly, a searing pain hit her in the back of her head knocking her down from the impact.

**--**

Roxas slammed the doors to the mansion stridently catching the attention of the others in the household. Sora walked down the stairs to see his blonde friend taking off his scarf roughly.

"Welcome back" he greeted Roxas. Roxas didn't reply as he angrily took off his coat. This caused Sora to look at him in concern "Something happen?"

"Don't want to talk about it" Roxas replied scathingly.

"Hey! Roxy's back!" Demyx chimed in and slid down the railing of the staircase. He landed with perfect grace and ruffled the blonde's spiky hair. "So, anything interesting happen?" Demyx teased.

"Demyx, I don't think—" Sora was cut off by Roxas.

"Shut up! I said I don't want to talk about it! And where were you guys all this time?! You left me waiting at that godforsaken fountain for nothing!" Roxas bellowed.

"Um, well…" Demyx and Sora said at the same time looking for an excuse.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I have a hysteric Ms. Narumi on the phone demanding to know where her sister is" Riku cut in. Demyx and Sora could've kissed his feet if it wasn't for the last part. "Do you know why, Roxas?"

Roxas just narrowed his eyes at Riku.

"How should I know? She can take care of herself" he replied to Riku.

"Really? Well, remember Roxas, even the toughest nails break. I don't know what happened but even Namine is still human. Besides, it's very late. I don't think Namine would pull something like this on purpose to scare her sister" Riku explained to him with a smooth tone, but a glare was present on his handsome face.

Roxas didn't even catch the implications of Riku knowing that he was with Namine, too busy with his own thoughts. Flashes of Namine appeared in his head. Her grinning, her laughing, her concerned expression, her strong words. She was a strong person. Both physically and mentally. Like a splendid glowing flame.

And yet, flames go out. They go down, and they even die completely leaving only ashes.

Namine was always strong. She never allowed anyone to see her weak side. She had to keep burning bright for everyone in order to show she didn't need to depend on them, but they could depend on her.

Even when they found her last week, her fire had burned bright. Around them, her fire always burned. It never faltered. It never diminished in their presence.

But what about when they weren't there? How did she feel? Was she scared? Was she lonely? Was she crying?

"_I'm not weak! I can take care of myself just fine! I don't need people like you dotting on me 24/7!" Namine screeched at him. _

_Silence reigned between them as their glares clashed. Fire and Ice. Namine's fiery glare and Roxas's icy glare. It seemed like neither one of them would cave. _

"_Fine" Roxas said through gritted teeth. "You don't need anybody; then go rot yourself! See if I care!" Roxas ended it and stomped off leaving an angry Namine. _

How did she feel when he said that? Was she hurt? Did her flame go out when he wasn't looking?

"Roxas?" Axel asked as he came down the stairs. The others were looking at him in concern too.

Was she _crying_…?

Roxas didn't even bother grabbing his coat as he dashed out of the mansion ignoring his friends' worried calls. The only thing on his mind was Namine. The fact that Namine was alone right now. That she was hurting. Even the strongest of pillars have to fall sometime, Namine was no different. She never cried in front of them. Never shed a tear. What if she was sobbing right now? Sobbing because of what he said?

He would never forgive himself if he made her cry because of that.

**--**

"Ow…" Namine chocked out. She was lying on the cold payment. She was on her stomach while she attempted to lift a hand to nurse the burse that was forming.

However, she was kicked in the side knocking the air out of her before she could do anything. She coughed heavily when air came back to her.

"Well, well, look who we have here. It's the bitch who helped that old wench out earlier" Namine glared up towards the voice and saw that it was one of the guys she punched earlier.

Sadly, her sharp eyes caught that he wasn't alone. Unlike the five guys before, there was more now. Maybe twelve or more.

Namine attempted to get up but the person holding the metal pipe slammed it into her back causing her to fall back on the ground. Her tights ripped at several places from scraping against the concrete. Her chin was also scraped from grating against the payment.

"You're gonna pay for breaking my hand, bitch" the guy who she broke the hand of said in glee. He kicked against her side roughly making her roll over and he began to stomp on her stomach.

Namine grabbed his foot and kicked up to where it hurt the most. He fell back from the pain of being kicked in his sensitive area. With that Namine used to wall to support her as she rose up. She winced as she held her abdomen.

_Damn, I think he cracked a rib or two, _she thought. _Dammit, at my best I can probably take on fifteen guys at the most, but already being hit with a pipe in the head, back, and having a few cracked ribs totally minuses points. _

It was then that they all jumped at her at once. Kick after kick; punch after punch; Namine didn't get a chance to really fight back They slammed her into the brick wall a couple of times and hit her with the pipe if she even attempted to fight back. She didn't cry out nor did she curse at them. She just kept silent through her torture.

"Cry out, dammit!" one of them said. He punched her in the face. Still, she just kept her blank expression.

It was then that rain began to pelt the earth. None of them paid heed as they were frustrated with the woman who even though could not fight back, was defying them.

Namine felt something sticky on the side of her head. At the corner of her eye, she saw blood trickle down her neck. Must've been from the hit of the pipe.

Her eyes then followed down her shoulder and led straight to where her hand was—her gloved hand.

"_Thank me later when you don't have frost bite" Roxas said completely ignoring the steaming blonde. He then took her bare right hand and held it with his now bare left hand. _

"_What are you doing?!" Namine exclaimed with a pink flush. _

"_Well since you cost me my glove, my hand will be freezing unless I hold yours to generate body heat to keep it warm" Roxas replied simply. And with that, the blonde male pulled the blonde female along towards the movie theater. _

"_B-b-but…" Namine tried to think of some excuse, but found now. So, she just sighed in defeat and let Roxas hold her hand. _

Namine inwardly smiled. Guess she deserved the beating for making Roxas mad. Maybe he was happy she was getting what she deserved. After all, he said so himself, that she should rot by herself. Was this good enough for him? Was he ecstatic to see her beaten by some morons who play dirty?

"_You don't need anybody; then go rot yourself! See if I care!" _

She let out a small chuckle at that. The pain and the blows from those people all felt numb. So numb. The only thing that was causing her pain was that statement in her mind screaming over and over.

_I wonder; can a person who's rotted rot anymore? _She asked herself.

She was rotted. Ever since childhood, she has been rotting. Her hope; her spirit, slowly dying. Her entire being, just simply rotting. She hid her rotted self very well. She didn't want people to see her rotted self. Because if they saw it, if they saw that her rotted self was coming to life again, they would only make her rot again. Allow her spirit to slowly decay as they stood above her and laughed.

"This bitch ain't doing anything" a guy complained.

"She is a pretty thing though, isn't she?" another guy asked.

"Can't let her go to waste" the others agreed. They began to close in on her. Namine—too battered and beaten—could not fight back as they began to touch her.

"_You don't need anybody; then go rot yourself! See if I care!" _

_Well then Roxas, it seems even rotted people can rot even more. I get what I deserve. _

That's all she was thinking. I get what I deserve. Life had been too lenient on her it seems. She has done so many things and now she was being punished for it. Voices in her mind kept telling her the same thing, she got was she deserved.

Abruptly, one of the guys touching her was sent flying into the wall. Another one soon followed letting Namine slide down the wall from the lack of people holding her up. Her sapphire eyes turned towards where the punch was sent. She could've sworn her eyes were the size of saucer plates.

There, in the pouring rain, stood Roxas with a glare that could freeze you to death with just one look. He was drenched and his spikes dropped a little from the rain. Despite the cold, he wasn't shivering for his anger kept him burning hot.

Namine's assaulters backed up a bit as they looked at him. The man before them didn't have the look of hurt; he had the look of wanting to _murder_.

To Namine, there was no warning, no sign. It was one second Roxas standing there and then the next he was swiftly kicking the crap out of all of Namine's would-be-rapists. They cried out and tried to run, but the male was too fast for them. He slammed them into walls, possibly dislocated some limbs, and broken some bones too. Everything in his being radiated kill.

He grabbed the last guy by the neck nearly breaking it with his hold. His ice ocean blue eyes glared into the male's frightened ones. This man was the closest any of her assaulters would've gotten to violating her.

"Don't touch her" Roxas snarled out. "Don't you dare touch her with your dirty hands" he told the man. He then dropped the man to the ground and turned away from him without a second glance. The man scurried away like the rest of his comrades—though they have more difficulty with injuries.

He walked over to Namine who was sitting against the wall with a blank expression. Roxas yanked her up by her arm roughly. His glare was still present on his face—though the urge to kill was gone now. To this, Namine was grateful for.

"You idiot!" he yelled at her. He gripped her shoulders to keep her standing. Possibly a bruise would form there. "Why are you always doing this?! Do you enjoy making people worry about you?! Do you think it's all just a big game to you?!" he shouted at her.

Namine just looked upon him blankly. For some reason, this only made him angrier. And just like that, all his frustration from this week poured out.

"Why do you have to do everything all by yourself?! Why don't you let yourself depend on us like we do you?! Do you hate us?! Do you think we're not good enough?! Why can't you see it?! Why can't you see that you don't have to do everything alone?!" he screamed at her with a hint of begging in his tone.

"Why can't you see that we're here for you?!" Roxas shouted out.

He then embraced her to him. Pressing their soaked and freezing bodies together. He buried himself in her hair as he held her to him tightly.

"God, Namine…" he murmured in her ear. Through her sweater, he felt her shivering form. He pulled her closer to him in an effort to share his body heat with her.

It was then that everything became clear to her. Why her bosses were so happy to see her when she was found, why they came to her apartment unexpectedly, why they were relieved when they met up with her on Halloween, why they took care of her when she was sick, why they were so protective of her when she was first disrespected at the restaurant when they first met.

They were worried about her. She made them worry.

Something then inside her broke. Something inside her broke the chains around her heart letting them in to heal her rotted soul. To care for her broken spirit.

Roxas felt two arms encircle his waist. He felt her press them together tightly like a child would hug her teddy bear. He felt a warm, wet substance trailing down her cheeks onto his own body.

"That was the first time you called me by my name" Namine said quietly. More tears trailed down her face as she hugged him unyieldingly. "You always called me something like moron or idiot, but this was the first time you ever called me by my name" she let out a choked sob.

Roxas began rubbing her back in soothing motions. Unconsciously, he started swaying slowly the same way Namine did to Kairi as she embraced her. He rocked them side to side as he held her there to cry.

"I'm sorry" she told him, "I'm so sorry, Roxas! Please don't be mad at me anymore! I really am sorry!" she sobbed into his chest.

"Shh, it's okay. I didn't mean anything I said. I do care. I really do care, okay? Don't cry" he whispered to her in her ear. He continued swaying them side to side like they were dancing. Namine continued sobbing as she held him. She cried for everything and anything. All the tragedies that she went through, the fact that she was almost violated, that she was a complete fool to not see that she had so many people with her. That it was okay to depend on them just as they do her. It was okay.

"I'm sorry, Namine" he told her. "I'm really sorry for making you cry" Roxas apologized.

It was the first time he actually apologized to her. The first time he showed her how much regret and guilt he had. The first time he revealed that he wanted her forgiveness more than anything.

It was the first time that his apology carried so many things: guilt, sorrow, regret, longing, sincerity.

It was the first time that Roxas had fully opened himself to someone.

And as the two of them stood embracing in the rain, Namine had finally opened her heart to her five companions fully and unconditionally.

* * *

**Karin: Okay, 25 pages. That should keep you happy. This was my last update before school tomorrow so wish me luck and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. **

**See ya next time! **

**P.S- If you are interested in some new stories—check out my two new ones. **

**Mahoutsukai no Namine- Namixas most likely: (might be deleted if no interest is shown)**

It all started because he showed her kindness, now she is determined to pay him back no matter what. Roxas had no idea that one act of kindness would cause his school life to go down the drain.

**Crimson Twilight- Namixas and Namiora: **

In the year 1785, London, England, Namine Belacqua only wants to grieve for her beloved parents' passing. However, one night on all Hallows Eve begins her descent into a dark obsession between two seductive vampires out for her blood.

**Karin: this next story will be coming out soon—The Melancholy of an Anti-social Witch: Namine-centric **

The cold emotionless apprentice of the fiercest witch in their world, Maleficent, meets her match in an all boys school on Earth. Not only can she not hold a small conversation to save her life, but the fact that she is stuck in a school with teenage boys doesn't help much.


	17. Namine Narumi: The Ignorant

**Karin: Updating! Don't you just love me? **

**Roxas, Axel, Riku: No**

**Sora and Demyx: Yes, Karin-chan! **

**Axel: Suck ups**

**Replies to Reviews from Chapter 15: **

**Mooncry- **Yes, definitely poor Namine and Roxas (sniffle)

**Angel Aliera- **Yeah, she did give up too quickly, but Namine has what I like to call scapegoat syndrome where she blames herself for everything even though none of it's her fault. Namine is the type of person who will take the blame for others and have a sense of self-loathing for all the stuff she's done (which will not be revealed until the sequel). She believes that she deserves any sort of punishment that presents itself to her. Anyway, so glad you've enjoyed that last chapter (smiles).

**.Nana Potato.- **Did you seriously cry Nana-chan? If you did, that definitely gives my writing ego a boost. Although, I'm sorry I made you cry (sweat drop). Um… would you be mad at me if I told you I got the idea from you in the first place? I hope you don't mind me using it. Hmmm, your sad ice cream sounds good; I think I'll do that next time I'm bawling my eyes out. Moving on, I got your review for Crimson Twilight (I put up the second chapter by the way). I was like "Yay! Nana-chan reviewed me!". Don't worry about the dumb moments, I have those a lot. One time, I lost my glasses and I was looking for them for about thirty minutes. I was on the verge of hyperventilating. Then, I realized something… they were still on my face…

**XxThe-Nobodies-RulexX- **So glad you liked it. It's good to know my hard work paid off in writing that chapter.

**Iaveina- **(takes a bow) thank you for the compliment. Hope that you continue to enjoy this story and it's follow up.

**Lebrezie- **(gets fire extinguisher and blasts the teachers) Don't die Lebre-chan! Nice evil laugh by the way. I sometimes do mine in front of the mirror…but then I start coughing from being so evil it was suffocating O.O I'm a moron at times. Although, my apprenticeship under Maleficent and the Organization made me slightly smarter… right? (cricket sounds) Why is everyone staring at me like I'm nuts…? (sweat drop)

**Recap:**

It was the first time that his apology carried so many things: guilt, sorrow, regret, longing, sincerity.

It was the first time that Roxas had fully opened himself to someone.

And as the two of them stood embracing in the rain, Namine had finally opened her heart to her five companions fully and unconditionally.

**End of Recap: **

* * *

"_If you give me your heart, I'll be your everything" he told her as she stared at him with tears coming down her face. She let out a choked sob and launched herself into his awaiting arms. _

* * *

**Namine Narumi—The Ignorant**

The cool breeze ruffled the grass as Namine Narumi stared up at the clear blue sky. Her cerulean eyes were half lidded with her arms behind her head in a relaxed position. A piece of grass was sticking out of her mouth chewing on the end once in a while.

Her blonde locks drifted across her pale face leisurely from the soft breeze. She closed her eyes in contentment. Everything was so peaceful and beautiful here. Not a building or sign of pollution in sight. Just as it always was.

Despite the cold air of December, the plant life was very much alive. The grass was emerald green and the trees surrounding the vast patch of meadow in the giant forest were rich in green leaves. Not one leaf left its perch on their branches. The small creek a little far off by the trees was clear blue with some fish swimming up its streams.

For this outdoor trip away from the city, Namine wore a long sleeve, fitting navy blue shirt with slightly lighter blue shorts that reached above her knees, black and white tennis shoes on her feet with white ankle socks, and her trademark madras over her long sleeve shirt; however, part of the sleeves were unstitched—courtesy of Olette; she does a mean sewing job—making it a t-shirt madras. Her hair was unbound keeping the hairstyle Yuffie had forced on her days before and her face was free of her thick framed glasses do to the fact that said commoner-lover-manic _sat_ on them.

So, she was stuck with contacts until she can get new glasses. Crud.

But she didn't come here because of her broken glasses. She came here for fresh air and some peace in mind from the constant craziness in her life. Even she needed a breather once in a while.

One of Namine's azure eyes cracked open to see her companion. He was quiet as she expected him to be. This was what she was grateful for. Of course they did have their squabbles once in a while (…erm… okay, most of the time…) but they both understood the value of having a place to go to and think about things. A place where you can just relax and smell the roses.

Leon turned his brown eyes to look at his friend when he noticed her gaze. He raised an eyebrow at her in question. He knew she wanted to ask something. They usually never talked here unless it was something serious.

Now all you readers are probably curious on where our two comical quarrelsome best friends are. Well then, allow me to fill you in:

Currently, the two best friends were residing in a meadow plain in the middle of a forest along the countryside of Pennsylvania. This was their secret spot where they came to think and relish in the serenity of nature instead of the stuffy city. Not one person knew about this place; not even Tifa. It was only meant for them and they didn't want to share it with anyone else.

It was odd to Leon. They haven't been here in a long time. Namine just came into his apartment that morning and told him she wanted to drive out to the secret spot. She seemed fidgety, as if she couldn't be still at all. He knew that posture; he was pretty sure that he was the only one who knew what a jittery Namine meant.

She was being suffocated.

Not literality of course. But due to all the havoc that happened over the month, he noticed Namine being restricted and coddled too much by everyone around her. Namine wasn't the type to get used to something like that after a while. Namine was the type of person who did things freely and unrestrictedly.

Most likely her recent dotting and coddling of affection was viewed to Namine as a threat to her freedom.

Leon figured that was what the problem was. After all, she even smashed the GPS those guys made her have on her at all times. Namine even made sure they didn't take their cell phones or anything that could lead people here.

She didn't want people here, she was indicating. She didn't want anyone to come here. Yes, she had accepted that she could be dependable on others, but Namine would like to breathe once in a while thank you!

"What's up?" Leon asked her. He wore a plain green hoody unzipped and dark brown jeans. Under the hoody was a sleeveless white shirt. He wore black combat boots for hiking purposes.

Namine turned her body to look at him. Her eyes were serious, yet they had a nonchalant spark in them.

"It's been so long since we came here. It's nice to get some fresh air" Namine said with a slight smile. She turned her eyes back to the blue sky. "It feels like centuries have passed since we've been here; and yet, everything looks the same as we left it. Still; unchanging…" she trailed off thinking.

Leon let out noise of agreement and shrugged. He knew Namine had brought him here for a reason. The fact that she didn't need him to get here and brought him anyway was proof enough of that.

It was silent again as Leon stared up at some of the white clouds. He began to shape them as he felt Namine deal with her internal conflict. Finally, he heard a soft sigh before she dropped the bomb.

"Did something happen?" she asked him. Leon turned his head to see Namine have one of her arms covering her eyes. A frown was on her features.

He didn't answer her. He just turned his eyes back to the sky.

"You know I don't usually interfere with your personal matters, Leon" she told him solemnly still not taking her arm away from her face.

Leon turned to look at her again with his brow furrowed. She only called him Leon when she was being serious. This was a matter that needed to be brought up according to Namine apparently.

"I stood on the sidelines for as long as I could. I hoped you guys would've solved this problem by yourselves" Namine spoke finally taking her arm away from her eyes. He saw her cerulean eyes glaring up at the sky. "And frankly, the awkwardness between you, Tifa, and Kairi is seriously starting to piss me off" Namine said with a tiny growl.

Leon let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. He knew what she was talking about. Even if the awkwardness between him, his best friend, and his love interest wasn't as excessive as it was in the beginning, the tension seemed to be still there.

He wasn't surprised Namine had approached him about the subject. She had good senses when it came to these things. She always knew when something was wrong. He guessed the reason was because she was very observant and perceptive to her surroundings.

"So that's why you dragged me here with you. I thought there was something you wanted to say" Leon replied.

"Obviously" Namine frowned. "I also just wanted to get away for a bit. You know, I'm just feeling so… I don't know—cluttered and isolated—like I can't even walk around without being choked by the thick atmosphere" she explained.

Leon nodded confirming his suspicions. Yes, Namine was evidently feeling threatened by the excessive attention and rules. She was always like that ever since they day he met her; too defiant and undisciplined doing as she pleased. It was no wonder she was feeling like she was up against a wall with everyone constantly around her.

He wondered if she knew this. That she was feeling threatened by her cherished ones. That she felt that they were taking away her freedom and not leave her be. Judging by her posture and frustration on why she was feeling cluttered in the first place she had no idea that was what her subconscious was saying.

"You never answered my question" Namine pointed out with a stern expression.

"I didn't?" he asked her pretending he forgot. They both knew he didn't though. They could always see right through each other like a glass window. Sure they didn't show it, but the other always could see if something was bothering them or if they were feeling uncomfortable.

She just stared at him with solemn eyes. Not a trace of her usual playfulness was on her face. Her eyes—usually disguised with her childishness—shown with a dull like quality and wisdom, as if she had lived beyond her years. And to tell the truth, Leon was pretty sure Namine had seen things that made her seem like she had lived for many years. Things that young children were never supposed to even know about. Not a trace of innocence was found in those eyes.

As he looked into these eyes, he knew she was looking at him with her real eyes. Not the ones that are disguised with childishness and immaturity. These eyes, that had seen so much and the eyes he saw her with constantly as a child. These eyes, the ones that shown who she really was stared before him.

In the back of his mind, he wondered if Tifa, Kairi, or anyone else had realized the same thing as he did. As he looked back on instances where Namine looked upon them with these eyes, he knew for sure that none of them had a clue about what he knew.

"This goes farther then what happened over two weeks ago, doesn't it?" she asked already knowing the answer.

"You could say that" he told her. He picked up a piece of long grass and began chewing on it. "I just said something wrong to Tifa; not really a story to tell with that"

"I meant you and Kairi" Namine said blankly. "Tifa will get over it as long as you apologize, but Kairi…" she trailed off. Her eyes narrowed. "After seeing her avoid even _breathing_ in your direction, something was bugging me saying that there was more to you two…"

"That bad?" he asked her. Namine turned her glare at him.

"I don't perceive you as a fool, Leon. Don't you ever assume that I'm one" Namine retorted sharply.

"You're right" Leon said looking at her seriously. "You're the farthest thing from a fool. I all of people should know" he said.

"Then don't treat me like one" Namine snarled at him.

No, Namine was no fool, he told himself. She may act like one at times, but he knew better. If Namine was anything, a fool was not one of them. It would be an insult to himself and her if he thought of her as such.

"I don't think Kairi would be happy if I told you" Leon pointed out to her. Namine just sighed.

"This is your story as much as hers. If you want to tell it, she has no right to stop you" Namine replied. "Don't you trust me to not degrade you and Kairi by telling others about what you'll tell me?" she asked.

"On the contrary," Leon spoke out. "You are the most trustworthy out of everyone to hear this" he said.

"Well, we have loads of time" Namine began. "I thought here would be the best for you to tell me. Here, I won't hold anything against you or Kairi. I will not scorn you; I will not belittle you" Namine explained to him showing she would listen to what he had to say without criticism. He was her friend and he deserved that much.

Leon let out a bitter smile. She was always stubborn. He was pretty sure she would keep him here until he told her about his and Kairi's story—_their _story.

"Fine, try to keep up, alright? I'm not repeating myself" Leon said and stared at the sky. He felt himself reminiscing as his mind drifted back to the memories that he had locked away for so long. The memories he was about to reveal to the person that he wanted to hide the most from.

"Why don't we start at the beginning…?" Leon asked out.

Namine nodded in a daze getting caught up in the nostalgia. She knew what beginning he was talking about. It was their beginning.

When Leon had met Namine…

**--**

_Flashback (16 years ago) _

_Ten-year-old Leon Lionhart walked along the streets of New York City Slums. He winced as he held his abdomen. Man, his dad really laid it on thick that night. Bruises covered his body and his clothes were very old. _

_It was normal for him—to have old clothes and bruises. His dear sweet mother had passed in a car cash two years prior. His father, devastated with grief, had resulted to drinking and drugs to help lift his misery. Sadly, these solutions only made him intoxicated. Nothing could make him forget about his wife. _

_What made it worse was Leon looked a lot like his mother. His father began to scorn him. Hate him for looking like the woman he had loved. He couldn't stand it. His son was mocking him—how dare he look like the one he lost. _

_That's when the beatings started. It was usually worse when Leon's father was drunk. Beat him not only physically, but mentally as well. He would tell Leon awful things like how he wished he was dead; how he hated his guts; how he was a failure. _

_The torment was too much for the ten-year-old to bear. _

_So he ran. Ran away from that horrid place he once called home. He needed to get away from there. Get away from that place. _

_Leon snapped his head up when he heard a sound coming from around the corner. It sounded like someone putting down groceries backs a little roughly than intended. His stomach growled joyously at the thought of food. Maybe if he was quick enough, he could steal some. _

_With that thought in his brain, Leon raced around the corner to where the sound came from. His thoughts centered around the meal he was going to have tonight. _

_But when he had gotten around the corner, the pleasurable thoughts of food left to the deepest recesses of his mind. His brown eyes were wide as he saw the sight before him. _

_There, a girl with short blonde hair about five years old was currently trying to fight off teenagers twice her size. The grocery bags were on the ground as the seven teens tried to get the girl to hold still. She was able to land some good punches on them for a five year old, but they were clearly stronger than her. _

"_Get the hell away, asshole! I paid for that so it's mine!" she growled at one of them and kicked really hard in their shin. She received a punch in the stomach by another teen. _

"_Little brat! Hold still!" they told her. The little girl glared at them as she stumbled from the blow. _

"_Like hell I will. Do you honestly believe I'm just going sit and take this?!" she screamed and elbowed someone in the stomach from behind her. _

_Leon just stared. What was she doing? Why wasn't she running away? She would be much safer just letting them take her groceries! Fighting back only caused more pain. _

"_That's a load of crap!" she told them and tried to land another punch, but she missed and they pinned her to the ground. The leader glared down at her and wiped her bloody lip. Damn; for a five-year-old, this girl could pack a punch. _

"_What's a load of crap is that you're so determined to get beat up over grocery bags" the leader said to her glaring. The little girl struggled. _

"_Of course! I paid for them! I have two mouths to feed at home!" she growled out in reply. _

_The leader stared at her before letting out a laugh. She bent down on her knees and looked at the little girl pinned on the ground by her gang members. _

"_That's funny coming from a five-year-old. Listen kid, no one gives a damn about anyone else but themselves. It's human instinct to be selfish" she told the little girl. _

_Leon hid afraid that they might notice him. He didn't know why he stayed to watch this. He should be running away and not giving it a second thought. Stuff like this happened a lot in the slums. No one bothered to make it better so it only got worse here. _

_But there was something keeping him here. He gazed upon the little girl. Something about her was different. She wasn't like any five-year-old he had seen. Those five-year-olds were innocent and childish. However, this one, she had the eyes of an adult and not a trace of innocence was on her being. _

_He wanted to know what she was going to do. He wanted to see this unpredictable girl continue to defy people unlike himself. He wanted to watch her for she was fascinating to him. _

_He wanted to see her fight back because he couldn't. _

_The little girl turned her eyes away from the leader. Her eyes glared down at the concrete in thinking. Leon's eyes stared: Has she given up? _

"_Pssh. I knew humans were fools but the way you go on, the intelligence bar just lost a couple of bars" the little girl said stubbornly. _

"_What was that?" the leader asked her with a raised eyebrow glaring. _

_The little girl then turned her gaze to look at the teenager. Leon had to gasp at what he saw. Her eyes—they were so fierce and looked like blue fire. _

"_Yes, humans are very selfish creatures; they're so selfish at times that they would even sacrifice others just to save their own skins" the little girl told her. "However…" _

_Leon took a step forward. He wanted to hear it. He wanted to hear what she had to say. _

"…_there are people in this world who will hold out their hand to you and care for you as well!" she shouted at the teenager. _

_Leon didn't know what compelled him to run forward. To run near them instead of going away. To run to this girl's aid as the leader pulled back her fist and prepared to punch the child for her defiance. _

_He leaped up behind the leader and tackled her to the ground in surprise. She let out a yelp as he began hitting her. Anything to prevent her from hurting the girl. _

_The leader knocked him off of her in fury; consequently, he flew back into the other teens holding down the girl knocking them off of her. The little girl quickly sprang to her feet and kicked them away from her. _

_Nonetheless, they were outnumbered and the gang surrounded them. Leon felt his heart pound as he looked upon the people who were going to hurt him. He didn't like pain. _

"_Hey" a voice whispered._

_Leon jolted slightly and looked to see the blonde girl talking to him. Her sharp eyes shifted back and forth to him and their attackers. _

"_Listen," she began, "They may have outnumbered us, but we're smaller and more agile than them" she explained to him. Her fierce gaze flickered back to him "If we get them from behind, we can cripple them a little and then use the opportunity to escape" _

"_H-how can you be so sure?" he had to know; he just had to know what made this child so confident; why she wasn't shaking in fear or pleading to them to let her go. _

"_I saw it in a ninja movie last week" she replied simply. _

_If Leon wasn't in a situation like this, he would've dropped in an anime style. _

"_Are you serious?" he asked her. _

"_Of course I'm serious. Ninjas are very sneaky and get behind the enemy to catch them off guard. That's one of the most effective military strategies for thousands of years" the little girl said with a glare. _

_Yes, this girl was indeed serious. _

_Leon shifted his eyes again onto the gang. His heart loud and drumming in his ears. His hands shook as sweat trickled down his face. _

_He was scared… no, he was _terrified_. _

"_One…" he heard her whisper. The teens started to close in. _

_Maybe he could run. Maybe he could get away from all of this. Forget his stupid move and save himself before he lost his life before it even begun. _

_He then felt something grasp his scrawny wrist in a vice-like grip. His frightened brown eyes flickered to the side to look at the girl She whispered the next number and gripped his wrist tightly. She only glared ahead not looking at him. _

_Leon only stared at her. Just stared. His eyes caught the sweat trickling down her face and the slight shaking of her shoulders. Now that he was close to her, he could see every detail of her posture making him come to a realization. _

_She was afraid… she was scared just as he was. _

_But there was a difference between them. Yes, they were both terrified. They were both trembling as the thought of the possibility of losing their life in this stuck in their minds like super glue. _

_But she didn't let her fear rule her actions. Instead, this child stood up against them. _

"Fear is only fear itself" _the gentle voice of his mother flooded in his head. _

"_Fear is only fear itself" the voice of the five-year-old said grasping his wrist while her bangs shadowed her face. _

_Now he knew what his mother meant. _

"_Three!" she shouted._

_It was then that Leon knew he was meant to meet her… _

**--**

The two of them were silent for a moment as they remembered that day. They almost didn't make it. It was sheer luck that they had managed to get away from that gang. Of course it didn't come without a price; the two of them were pretty banged up when Namine took him to her apartment after the fight.

"I was lucky," she whispered to him, "If you didn't show up when you did, I think I would've lost my groceries and my life…"

Leon let out a wry grin as he looked at her.

"That's right, during the fight you were trying to grab your groceries" he said with amusement.

"Hey! I got them back and we made it out of there didn't we?!" Namine retorted causing the man to laugh.

"_Fear is only fear itself" _both his mother and Namine said in his mind making his expression slightly solemn.

She reminded him so much of his mother—Namine that is. The way she was wise and carried herself tall. The way she gave up her own needs for others within a heartbeat. Ever since day one, he looked at Namine as somewhat of a mother-like figure to him.

Sometimes a part of him—a foolish part, of course—believed that she was his mother reincarnated because he still needed her in this world.

But then he would look—truly look at her. It was then that Leon concluded that Namine was not his mother or even related to her. She was alike his mother, yes, but Namine was a different existence entirely as well. A being that would never be the exact copy of another nor would she have a copy of herself.

"…the next part is when I told you my name" Namine spoke out reminding the older of the two that he was telling a story. Leon nodded to her and resumed his tale to her awaiting ears.

**--**

_Flashback (Namine's apartment an hour after the fight)_

_He heard the blonde haired girl let out a curse as they walked up the staircase to her apartment door. She was limping on one side resulting with him carrying her grocery bags. She hadn't noticed that someone had pulled out a knife when she was getting her bags. If it wasn't for his cry of "Watch out!" she would've been cut in a more than just a graze on her abdomen. _

_Leon quietly followed her as she opened the apartment door. The horrible quality of it made him stop at the doorway to look around. His eyes traveled around curiously as he looked. It wasn't in great shape, but at least it was sanitary. _

_Suddenly, the brunette was given a heart attack when something raced up to the pair speedily and tackled the blonde haired girl making them crash to the floor. Leon could only stare in shock at what just happened. _

"_Where were you?! Do you have any idea what time it is, young lady?! I swear if you did this because of a joke, I'm gonna—"a girl's voice threatened. _

"_Don't get yourself in a bunch, Old Hag" the younger girl told her rubbing her back with one hand in greeting as the girl embraced her. An anger mark appeared on the older female's head. _

"_God darnit! Will you stop calling me that?!" the girl asked the blonde frustrated. _

"_No" the blonde stated bluntly. _

_Seeing that the girl had separated from the blonde, Leon got a good look at her. She was his age—ten years—with long rich chocolate hair and ruby eyes. Not a trace of a pimple or blemish was on her skin. _

_It was then that the girl had noticed the child's appearance…_

_Shaky hands touched the blonde's cheeks as she looked upon her beaten form. The blonde let out a wince when the girl touched her abdomen. Her ruby eyes scared as she gazed into hard cerulean ones. To Leon, from the way the girl looked upon the child, it was as if that child was the most important thing in her world. It caused her great pain to see the child hurt in such a way. _

_Leon felt jealously crept up in his stomach with an ugly lurch. He was envious of how the blonde had someone who loved her so much. _

"_What happened…?" the older girl asked her. "Did you get into trouble?" the girl's hands trembled against the younger girl's pale cheeks. Leon wanted to turn away; he felt like he was intruding on a personal moment between them, but he just couldn't look away. His hunger for someone to love him like that compelled him to keep watching as he greedily took in the scene. _

_He was surprised to say the least when the blonde haired girl looked humbled and apologetic at the older girl. Something he did expect from a defiant being such as herself. Her sincerity upon the older girl demonstrated that the brunette female was very—if not the most—important thing in the blonde's world. _

"_Sorry, I just couldn't keep my mouth shut" a tiny smile lifted her features. It was hesitant, shy, as if she wasn't used to smiling. "You know me, Tifa" _

"_Right" the girl, Tifa he now knew, let out a small smile. She ruffled the blonde's hair slightly. "Well then, let's get you cleaned up, shall we?" _

"_You better make that two, Old Hag" the girl was back to referring the older girl in an insulting nickname. "I picked up someone on the way home" _

_Tifa her ruby eyes to look at him for the first time. Her eyes widened in shock showing him that she hadn't noticed him until the child pointed him out. Her eyes crinkled in worry as she looked at him making him feel funny. Funny in a good way obviously. His subconscious took the moment and placed it in his memory. He could always remember this moment when he lied in bed with his father's scornful words in his skull. _

"_Who's he?" she asked the child. In response, she shrugged. _

"_Dunno" she said. "But he helped me get out of a pinch" the blonde said. Her sharp azure eyes then turned to him. "Oi, you!" she called to him causing him to jump up startled. _

"_Y-yes?" he asked her. Any trace of the soft side of her that Tifa evoked was gone. _

"_What's your name?" the blonde ignored his stuttering. To this, Leon raised an eyebrow. She wanted to know his name? He, a worthless lowlife, who didn't deserve to live? _

"_L-leon" he told her. The blonde gave him a bored look. _

"_No last name with that?" despite her bore expression, an amused smile snuck up on her features. _

"_Lionhart" he told her begrudgingly seeing that she was mocking him. The blonde then nodded showing she got it and walked over to the kitchen sink. She turned on the facet and then turned to him smirking. _

"_Well then, I'm Namine Narumi, nice to meet ya" _

**--**

"You were so cute back then" Namine murmured with a chuckle. Leon bonked her on the forehead lightly turning his head away in embarrassment. He did _not_ like to be called cute.

"Pssh, you have the weirdest tastes in people, you know that?" he asked her. Namine only smiled serenely as she lied on her stomach.

The sun was high in the sky now. The two beings basked in its warm rays as they laid out on the dewy green grass. The breeze blew leisurely as they lied there in a standstill.

"Says you" Namine grumbled out.

Leon just observed her with half-lidded eyes. His mind then traveled back to when he, Namine, and Tifa had their first encounter together as a whole. The two were light-hearted, he remembered, talking about the weirdest things in such a causal manner. They asked for his opinion as well. Told him stories that made him smile. It felt like he was in a dream. A dream where his mother wasn't dead and his father wasn't abusive.

Just him, Namine, and Tifa. That was the world that made him the happiest he's been in his life.

He never told Namine about his jealousy when he saw her with Tifa. He didn't want her to see him weaker than he already was. He didn't want her to see the ugly feelings he had when he had first met them as a duo.

He was jealous of the relationship they had. How they treasured the other more than anything in the world. The fact that the center of their universe revolved around each other.

In a way, he was still jealous of them. While he was the happiest when he was with Namine and Tifa, a feeling in the back of his mind couldn't help but tell him he was feeling like an outsider. Namine and Tifa had always been closer to each other than he with any of them. The fact that their bond was deeper than anything made him jealous at times. Made him feel like he didn't belong there with them.

But another part of him, the part that treasured them and selfishly desired their love kept him there. They cared about him; they made him happy. He couldn't help but be selfish in staying with them for all these years.

The door was always open, they told him that night. Perhaps they were suspicious of his home life or maybe they just wanted him to come back, he wasn't sure which one was more prominent.

It wasn't until three years after that fateful meeting when everything changed. When everything alerted his life forever. When fate placed Leon in its captivating spider web of destiny.

The day when he first laid eyes on _her_.

**--**

_Flashback (13 years ago)_

_Thirteen-year-old Leon Lionhart laughed out when Namine had explained to him her theory on sneezing. Tifa rolled her eyes with an amused smile on her face. _

"_Honestly Namine, that's just a figment of your wild imagination" Tifa told her. Eight-year-old Namine turned her sharp eyes to glare at the older girl. _

"_I'm telling you! You get added to a hit list every time you sneeze! It said so in this one movie I was watching last year!" the blonde protested. Her hair was down two inches above her mid back now in a low ponytail. Her usual attire hadn't changed; she still wore jeans and oversized t-shirts. _

"_I'll never get you, Namine" Leon said laughing. "You're so serious yet you come up with the most insane things" he told the blonde haired girl. _

"_Yeah, yeah, but when you guys end up on a hit list, don't come bawling to me" Namine said crossing her arms as she sat Indian style on the floor. _

_The clock chimed eight making them stop what they were doing. Leon's eyes widened slightly and he rose to get his shoes. _

"_Where are you going?" Tifa asked him with a raised eyebrow. _

"_Home" he told them. Strange; he felt more like he was leaving it. _

"_Kay, night Leon" Namine bid him goodbye with a light wave. _

"_Namine, he's going home late at night alone and all you can say is 'Kay, night Leon'? Show a little more concern and let him spend the night or something!" Tifa reprimanded the blonde. Said blonde in turn shrugged like what Tifa had just said wasn't important. _

"_Hey, when you gotta go home, you gotta go home. What right do we have to make him stay?" Namine asked the older girl. _

_Leon smiled wryly while he watched Tifa attempting to skewer the blonde child. He bid them a wave and a farewell before running out the door his heart pounding in fear inside despite his smile. _

_He prayed his father was going to be asleep from another one of his intoxications. _

_Oh how he prayed. _

_It felt like an eternity with a heavy weight on his shoulders throughout the journey to his house. His pale hand grasped the doorknob in a death grip and quietly pulled it open. _

_The door made a slight creaking sound revealing complete darkness inside. No sound greeted him giving him a hope that his father had indeed been knocked unconscious by his intoxication. Still, the young teen cautiously stepped inside as to not be caught off guard. He shut the door behind him and took a few steps hesitantly. _

_So far in the clear. _

_He crept up the stairs blindly. It was too dark to see, but it was always like this he reminded himself. These days it was rare to see a light on in his household. His hands felt for his surroundings gently. He didn't want to take any chances with maneuvering his father. _

_His feet came to a stop at the top of the staircase. Relieved that he had reached the top, the young boy walked forward towards his room. _

_Suddenly, the silence was disrupted by a loud impact. Leon's head did a one-eighty from the force. His scrawny form flew back onto the stairs causing him to tumble down in a disarray. Loud crashes rang all throughout the dead and silent house. _

_A ringing noise sounded in Leon's head with his body crying out in painful agony. His vision was blurry for a couple before his eyesight focused back. _

_However, it didn't focus quick enough to see someone come down the stairs towards him. All he felt was a hand roughly yanking him up off the ground by his shirt collar. The smell of alcohol clouded his senses making him cough from the strong odor. It was disgusting to his nose. _

"_Where were you?" a male voice slurred dangerously. Leon felt himself trembling in terror at that voice. He knew so well who it belonged to. _

_His father had found him. _

_His father let out a low growl when Leon didn't answer him. With incredible strength, he flung the thirteen-year-old boy straight into the wall. A loud bang resounded on the hollow walls. _

"_You little piece of shit! I asked you a question!" he shouted at the boy. His long legs made quick strides over to the boy who was scrambling to get away. _

_It was fruitless. It was always fruitless to run away from him. _

_He grabbed Leon's hair harshly. Digging into his scalp, Leon let out a cry of pain before he was flung again into another wall. His small body screamed in torture. His head rattled from the hard impact of hitting the wall behind him. _

_His body crumpled into a heap on the floor. The cool wooden floor felt good on his aching body. _

_A foot stepped deeply onto his left arm. The pain; oh the horrible, excruciating pain he was feeling. His father crushed harder onto his arm causing a whimper to erupt in the boy's throat. _

_It was then that a sickening crack was heard and Leon screamed at the top of his lungs in pain. His father broke his arm. He broke his arm. _

"_Worthless little brat" he spat at the crying boy. He then kicked the boy in the abdomen repeatedly with all his strength. More tiny cracks were heard meaning his father was succeeding in cracking his son's ribs. _

_Leon took immense, gulping breaths in between crying and begging his father to stop. He pleaded with his father to leave him be. He pleaded saying he was sorry and to forgive him for being late. _

_He always said sorry. And always his father never forgave him. _

"_Please stop! I'm sorry! Please! Please! Please!" Leon begged at the top of his lungs. It hurt. It hurt so _much_! _

"_Shut up! Shut your mouth you ungrateful bastard!" the father screamed at him. He stepped away from him and headed to the kitchen hastily. Meanwhile, Leon, with broken ribs, a bruised and bleeding body, and a detached arm shakily take to get away. _

_His legs, on the other hand, refused to cooperate with him and became wobbling jelly standing up. He fell onto his knees and was forced to drag himself with unbearable agony at a slow pace. _

_Consequently, it was a hopeless for him to escape. What a foolish thought he had for even thinking he could get away. He would never get away. Not with the condition he was in. _

_And it only proved right when his father had returned with a butcher's knife. _

_He grabbed the boy's detached arm making Leon shout. Then the burning suffering of his torture continued when his father took the knife and slashed Leon's face with it. His cries fell on his father's deaf ears. Those cries angered him. Made him only want to hurt the boy more for those annoying cries. _

_Tears were streaming down Leon's face as he released ragged breaths and pathetic whimpers. Everything hurt so _badly_. He just wanted it to end. He just wanted everything to _end_. _

_His eyes closed tightly with the last thing he saw was his father preparing to slash him again with the butcher knife. _

_But the pain never came. Nor did the pleasure of it ending for him. _

_A revolting sound of knife cutting flesh reached his ears. Warm breath fanned his cheeks as something warm and sticky dripped onto his shirt. _

_Warm, sticky, and smelled something along the lines like… copper? _

"_Dammit" a gasp sounded above him, "I'm so gonna give—" another gasp of air sounded as more of the substance dripped onto his form "—Tifa hell when I see her for making me follow you…" _

_Brown eyes opened in as if they were afraid that they might be seeing a delirium. His entire face paled when he caught sight of just who was sheltering him from the blow. _

_Scared brown eyes met pained cerulean ones. _

"_N-Namine?" he choked out. His stomach lurched with a nauseating feeling. It was her breath that was fanning his face. It was her body protecting his own. It was her hands on either side of his head. It was her eyes staring down at him. _

_It was her blood dripping onto his body and off the butcher knife. _

"_Stupid" she coughed out angrily. "…you should've said something or else I wouldn't have to be bailing you out of this mess…" she growled at him. _

_Leon was about to say something—anything as to make sure she was actually here with him and not an illusion that his delirious mind cooked up to distress him with. But before he could utter a sound, a hand grabbed Namine by her hair and yanked her roughly off of him. He let out a cry of her name as he watched in horror that it was his father. _

_The older man gripped Namine by her ponytail pulling her across the room by it. He saw her struggling against him with all of her might. Out of her mouth came several yelps of pain. _

"_What a pretty little girl you are" his father snarled at her venomously. "It's against the law though to break in to someone else's house" he said gripping her ponytail tighter. _

_Namine winced out from the pain but didn't plead to let her go. Leon could only watch in terror as she opened her mouth to say something completely different than saving herself. _

"_It's not breaking an entry if your front door is wide open and you hear screams inside, asswipe" she hissed at him in distain. _

_Leon's brown eyes widened when he saw his father bashing Namine's head against the floorboard by swinging her ponytail. The side of her head was bleeding profusely; the horribly metallic tasting substance sliding slowly down her face. _

_Namine's cerulean eyes shown disorientation but her mouth still continued despite Leon's cries telling her to be quiet. _

"_That's real mature. Try taking anger management instead of beating the crap out of others" she gasped out in ragged breaths. "A real man doesn't abuse and hurt others. He stands up and tries to help them" _

_The father only punched her in the face making her do a one-eighty before her body snapped back to where she was due to him hanging on to her ponytail. _

"_I'd keep quiet if I were in your position, little bitch" he warned her dangerously. _

"_Leon's a real man. Is that why you hit him? Because he's going to be a better man than you'll ever be?" Namine asked him in outrage. _

_At this statement, Leon's father only laughed. A cruel, heartless laugh that sent shivers down the two children's spines. _

"_Him? A man? That little wuss called my son is anything but a man!" the man cruelly smirked down at the insolent child. _

"_He's not your son!" Namine growled out harshly, "You're no father! A father would never beat his child and degrade them like this! You're just a bitter, drunk bastard who'll burn in Hell when you die miserable and alone!" she yelled at him. _

"_Namine!" Leon shouted in fear when his father brought up the knife in anger and intended to stab her. He shut his eyes not being able to have the stomach to watch his friend lose her life. _

_A slicing sound was heard along with a scrambling thud making him open his eyes once more. Namine was on her knees a few feet away from his father glaring up at him with blazing eyes of blue fire. However, his eyes weren't wide from the fact that she was alive, they were wide because of what he saw when he looked at her. _

_Her hair. Her once long hair was lying barely touching her shoulders now. His eyes traveled down to the wooden floor to see shreds of her blonde tresses in a heap upon the floorboards. _

_She got away. She got away by having his father hack most of her hair off in the process. _

_Police sirens screeched in the distance alerting the three of the incoming company. Some neighbors must've heard the commotion and called the police it seemed. His father was frozen on the spot as the realization of being arrested dawned on him. _

_Namine turned to him with a cold glare. It was so cold; so unsympathetic that Leon had to wonder if she had any emotions at all. Like her blazing blue fire froze to be a chilling ice blue. _

"_Looks like you will die miserable and alone after all" she said with a look of disgust. _

_Namine slid out of the way at the last second when his father charged at her. A terrifying crack was heard and his father crumpled into a heap on the floor. He let out a low groan, but Namine paid him no heed as she raced over to the wounded Leon. _

_As for Leon, he felt his vision starting to blacken. In the recesses of his mind, he heard Namine calling his name repeatedly. Telling him to stay awake or else she'd send him to the afterlife herself. He saw she was right in front of him, but her voice seemed so far away. _

_Why was that? _

_Leon didn't have time to comprehend that for other people had entered the room. Some of them were police officers while other people were there that he recognized vaguely as Tifa and Mr. Narumi. His eyes then drifted to the little girl in Mr. Narumi's arms who had on a sleepy yet confused expression. As if she was just waking up. She had auburn hair slightly longer than Namine's new length. _

_As he faded into unconsciousness besides Namine's screams in his ears, he couldn't help but think one last thing before he blacked out completely. _

_Her violet eyes… they were so _pretty_… _

**--**

"Is that when it started?" Namine asked skeptically.

"No, you're getting ahead of yourself, Namine" Leon replied.

"Excuse me, I didn't realize this story was going to be that long" Namine snorted out. "Was it really necessary to bring up that night?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Does it bother you?" he asked the younger woman. To his reply, she let out a snort and looked up at the sky.

"No, I just don't want to talk about it because I'm afraid it might bother _you_" she told him hotly.

Leon touched the scar on his face as soon as she said that. It was an involuntary reaction to her words. The memory of how he got that scar still always and forevermore fresh in him mind. Of course that night bothered him, but it was required if he wanted to tell this story right.

That scar wasn't the only thing that was a consequence of that night. He knew that even though Namine said she wasn't bothered by that night in his house, there were some things that changed her. An example would be her hair perhaps. Ever since then, Namine had never had her hair long. If it ever got too long, she would get it cut immediately. Not that Leon could blame her. After all, she was dragged across the room and had her head bashed onto the floorboards by using her long ponytail. Of course she wouldn't grow it long again after that.

He remembered once, when Kairi was fifteen, that she had began to grow her hair long when it was so short when she was fourteen. She said to him "I'm growing it because my sister doesn't grow hers". Unlike Namine who refused to grow her hair long, Kairi refused to get her hair short again.

It wasn't all that Namine had carried from that night. He felt himself wince as he thought about it. Like he, she too carried a physical scar on her body from torture his father had bestowed upon them.

It wasn't visible to the naked eye. The difference between his scar and hers was that she could hide hers. The pinkish scar began an inch away where her armpit ended and went diagonal down across her back to near where her hip was. It was hardly noticeable since she always wore shirts that covered it up. Only he was aware of that ugly yet beautiful scar on her back.

She had gotten it for him. By protecting him, she received a permanent mark. She never talked about it, but it was obvious she was ashamed of her scar. Ashamed because it was a reminder that she didn't make it in time to save Leon quicker than she should have. A sign that she missed the danger when letting him go home without a fuss. Leon knew—that deep inside her mind—that Namine blamed herself for what happened that night.

On the other hand, he didn't blame her. He made it clear to her plenty of times that it was never her fault that he had gotten this scar and his serious injuries. Of course she would acknowledge his sayings on the outside, but inside she continued to blame herself. He supposed it was a bad habit of hers—to feel responsible for everything that went wrong with her loved ones.

And with this train of thought, Leon had to wonder: Did Namine believe she deserved all of this misery? Did she believe that everything was her fault if something went wrong?

Did Namine… hate herself?

He never finished that train of thought because in all honesty, he didn't want to know. He had no clue what he would do if he knew she did indeed despise herself. He wouldn't know how to handle the blonde woman. She was complex enough as it is without him knowing the secrets on her mind.

"Shall I go on or are you too bored to listen?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Do whatever you want" Namine murmured out tiredly. She closed her eyes with her arms behind her head waiting for him to continue.

**--**

_Flashback (13 years ago) _

_Leon looked out the window in boredom while he laid in his hospital bed. It was two days since he was admitted here and he was bored out of his mind. Sure, Tifa came to visit (and Namine too when she escaped from the nurses), but there was nothing to do here! _

_The doctor says he would heal up nicely despite having a scar on his face. However, it would take a while for his arm and ribs to heal so he had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks. _

_As for Namine, she had gotten away with a minor concussion. Still, she was to be kept in the hospital under observation for about a week just to be safe. This obviously did not please the young eight-year-old if her constant escape attempts were any indication. Of course, she would always come to see him before she decided to split, which he was grateful for. _

_The farthest she's gotten so far was the Nifty Fifties down the street. One of the nurses dragged her back while she was eating pancakes. _

_Other than Namine's failed escape ploys, not much has happened. Social services came by of course. They asked him questions and such and informed him he would be placed in foster care as soon as he was out of the hospital. As for Leon, he didn't really care as long as he would be able to see Tifa and Namine still. _

_A slight creaking of his door alerted the boy of a newcomer. Turning slowly to see who it was, Leon was surprised to find the child from before who was in Mr. Narumi's arms at his father's house. Now completely focused and awake, Leon was able to see her much more clearly. _

_She was eight-years-old it seemed; the same age as Namine. Her dark auburn hair reached a little past her shoulders and her unique violet eyes looked up at him timidly. Her skin was slightly darker than Namine's and she wore a lavender sundress with purple sandals. Around her waist was a white sweater and she had a couple of bracelets on her wrist. _

_Come to think of it, she did sorta look like Namine. They were about the same height and their hairstyles look a little similar. Also, their faces resemble each other as well. However, unlike Namine's confident and serious features, this girl was soft and shy. _

"_Hello" she said smiling shyly at him. She walked further into the room and looked around as if searching for something. "You were the boy that Namine kept sneaking off to see, right? Have you seen her?" she asked curiously. _

_Uh-oh. Looks like Namine got away from the nurses again, Leon thought chuckling. _

"_What are you laughing about?" the girl asked him tilting her head. She looked cute doing that. _

"_Nothing," he replied. If he told her Namine had snuck out again, she would probably tell the nurses, which would not make a happy Namine, "How do you know Namine?" he asked her in confusion. Was she Namine's friend or something? _

_A bright smile alit on the child's features. _

"_I'm her sister!" she said cheerfully. "We're twins!" the girl stated as if proud to be twins with the blonde troublemaker. _

"_I'm guessing you're younger then" Leon said with a hint of surprise in his tone. He never knew Namine had a sister. Come to think of it, whenever he came over, Namine would always tell him and Tifa they had to keep it down because she didn't want the other occupants to be woken up—when he was at her apartment, it was usually evening—or they would play outside the apartment on the sidewalk most of the time. _

_The auburn haired child pouted at that statement. _

"_Mou! How did you know?" she asked astonished. Leon gave off a gentle smile at her question. _

"_It's just that Namine acts too mature to be younger" he said smiling as he thought of his blonde friend. It was true; the blonde child seemed more like an adult than a child at times. _

"_Wow! Your smile is so pretty!" the girl praised. _

"_Wha?!" Leon asked out in pure shock with a rosy tint coming on his cheeks. That certainly came out of nowhere. _

"_Your smile," she repeated pointing to his face, "It makes you look like someone from a fairytale. You should smile more often!" she beamed at him. _

_Leon's face blushed ten more shades of red at that. He wasn't used to being complimented—we have to remember he's got Nutty Namine and Teasing Tifa as his two best friends—and his father was a horrible drunk who beat the crap out of him often. The last time he ever heard someone complimenting his smile was his mother. _

_At his reaction to her words, the girl looked up at him in confusion. _

"_Hey, why's your face so red? Are you sick? My dad says you should get a lot of rest and drink lots and lots of soup to feel better" she told him. Then she came up with an idea, "Oh! I know! I can make you soup until you feel better! How's that sound?" she asked him excitedly approaching the bed. _

_To be honest, Leon was at a loss with this child. She was being so kind to him like they were good friends or something. She says she'll even go out of her way just to make him soup. This act of kindness made him feel warm inside; like he did when he first met Namine. However, unlike that warmth, this one made him feel light and kind of floaty. _

_It was… nice. Yes, definitely nice, he decided. _

"_Erm… why are you doing this for me?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow, "We don't even know each other" he pointed out to her. His pessimistic side couldn't help but kick in at the wrong moments. _

_The child continued beaming at him. Her smile was enlightening. It was like he was the most important person in her world. Is this what Tifa and Namine feel like with each other? Is this how they feel when the other looks at them with such devotion? _

_So cherished? So special? So _loved_? _

"_Because you're very important to Namine!" the child chirped. "And who's very important to Namine is important to me!" _

_Before Leon could reply to that statement, they heard crashes going on outside of his hospital room. _

"_I'm telling you! I feel perfectly fine! I don't need to be here!" Namine's voice shouted. _

"_Miss Narumi, the doctor just wants to be sure that you're in good health!" a nurse pleaded. _

"_Look lady! Does it look like I'm mortally wounded? That should be evidence enough to see I'm in capable condition to leave!" more crashes sounded. _

_More struggling sounded and then Namine had yelled. _

"_You'll never take me alive! I know my rights! I demand justice, integrity, and pancakes!" _

_Looks like they caught Namine… _

_The child let out a delighted giggle at her sister's return. She raced to the door in order to greet her blonde twin. Nevertheless, she turned back to him smiling all the while. _

"_My name's Kairi by the way" she giggled when she heard another one of Namine's crazed shouts. "What's yours?" _

"_Um… Leon…" he answered hesitantly blinded by her radiant smile. _

"_Well then Leon, I'm very glad I got to meet you today!" she exclaimed then ran out the door to be with Namine. _

**--**

"Oh sure, when _Kairi_ gives you a compliment, you blush, but when _I_ give you a compliment, you question my taste and bonk me on the head. Thanks Squall, it's good to know I'm loved" Namine said with a sarcastic tone.

"That's because you're weird and have freaky compliments" Leon plainly stated. "And that's Leon" he added in an afterthought.

"Too bad, you disrespect me so I'm not going to call you Leon" Namine replied sticking out her tongue.

"Why? _Why_ did you have to see my transcript at the hospital that one time and see my real name?" Leon grumbled.

"Look at it this way, think of it as payment to me for saving your ass" Namine told him waving a hand in a 'don't worry about it' motion.

"You know, if it wasn't for the fact that you and Kairi look alike, I wouldn't believe you were related" Leon deadpanned.

"Why's that?" Namine asked.

"Because you're the spawn of some kind of evil thing and she's nice enough to be an angel" Leon told her bluntly. Namine's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Oh so that's how it is! I had to make you soup for the past two months and you give me crap! That's nice" Namine said grumpily.

"You made that soup?" he asked her. Damn; now she's going to rub it in his face that he thought her cooking was good. Namine let out a snort.

"Squall, Kairi was _eight_. Do you really think I was going to let an eight-year-old who had no idea how to cook _near_ the stove?" Namine asked him skeptically as if he doubted her methods on being the older sister.

"Not really" he replied. A silence engulfed them for a bit before the blonde woman spoke up again.

"But she really did want to cook for you. If it wasn't for my hawk gaze, she would've tried. I remember how mad at me she was when I banned her from the kitchen just to prevent her from trying something" Namine said in a sober tone. Her eyes were half lidded as she chewed on another piece of grass.

"Did you only make me soup so Kairi wouldn't be mad at you?" he asked her with suspicion.

"Yeah" she replied, but it wasn't very convincing. At her flat tone, he knew that wasn't the only reason.

**--**

_Flashback (7 years ago) _

_Nineteen-year-old Leon Lionhart walked up the stairs where Namine's apartment was. He had been there about everyday and it seemed like the blonde haired girl was hardly there anymore. And when she was there, she had a distant look in her eye; like something was changing. _

_Her eyes were becoming like an icy blue. Cold; unfeeling. _

_Tifa and him were beginning to get worried. They felt bad since they couldn't really be with Namine because of college and stuff. His foster parents were very supportive of him and he attended a very good college. Tifa on the other hand attended the local community college. The two nineteen-year-olds didn't want to think about the cause of Namine being so distant was because of them. After all, she didn't attend school and they were very busy with their part time jobs and college. She might be feeling a little left out and abandoned. _

_This was something he and Tifa didn't want her to believe. _

_They wouldn't abandon Namine. She was their best friend. They knew Namine understood that they had to devote their time to other things. They knew Namine understood that they weren't children and had to take responsibilities now. _

_They knew Namine understood they loved her as they always did. _

_So, he had been coming over once everyday to see if she was home to spend some time with her. But the strange thing was, she seemed to be never there. That was odd considering she didn't really have anywhere else to go to and Namine usually just did housework and self-tutor information as to not waste her brain. _

_She was also moody at times. Very brooding; she seemed to be tired a lot—like she wasn't getting enough sleep—with the addition that she never smiled or joked anymore. Sure, there were the rare times she would show she cared, but he felt like it was a lie; a ruse. Like she was just pretending. _

_But he didn't want to ask her. He didn't want to think it was true or not. _

_His thoughts on Namine's changed behavior ceased when he came to the front door of her apartment. Just as his hand was about to knock, he heard some noises inside. Like shuffling and some moaning. _

_His eyes widened in alarm at something might be happening and started banging on the door. He yelled out a couple of times to see if anyone was hurt, but he wasn't expecting what happened next. _

_The door burst open and a boy about fifteen ran out and down the stairs of the apartment complex. However, the thing that made Leon raise an eyebrow was the fact that the boy was only in his boxer shorts. _

_The hasty shuffling inside made Leon turn just in time to see Kairi putting back on her shirt. She wore a jean skirt and a maroon t-shirt. Her hair was shorter than Namine's with it not even touching her shoulders. Her violet eyes avoided him in embarrassment and somewhat denial that he was actually here. _

_Over the years, he and Kairi had gotten close as well. True to her word, Kairi treasured Leon just like Namine did. And just like over the years, her kindness to him made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So special he felt that he regarded Kairi his top priority more than Namine and Tifa were. _

_He never told this to anyone. He never spoken of the way his heart pounded when he saw her smiling at him. He never said to anyone about how beautiful she had grown. He never explained to anyone how important she had become to him. _

_He never told anyone that he loved her. _

_He was in love. Honest to God in love. Sure, he was wary of her age for she was five years his junior, but he still loved her. However, he never acted on his feelings—being much too reserved and not confident about the way she felt about him. He was afraid she would reject him. That she would be scared of his feelings and avoid him. _

_That was something he never wanted. _

_So, being her friend was the next best thing. And that was something he was willing to accept. _

"_Kairi?" he questioned as he stepped into the room. His expression was of that he couldn't believe what had just happened. A part of him wasn't sure it was true, but the other part screamed at the first part calling it stupid and claiming it was indeed true. _

"_Oh, hey Leon. What's up?" Kairi must've gone with the pretending that nothing happened role. "Namine's not here right now—" _

"_Where's your dad?" he asked. Surely her father had to be here. _

"_At work" Kairi replied. _

"_Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked crossing his arms. _

"_We got out early" she said not looking at him choosing to fix the couch. Obviously it was a lie. _

"_Does Namine or Mr. Narumi know you're screwing around?" Leon asked with a sharp tone. He couldn't help it; his jealousy was kicking in. _

_Kairi turned to look at him sharply. Her violet eyes blazing in outrage. _

"_Of course they don't know! My dad's too busy with work and Namine's off doing whatever to pay attention to me anymore! She's hardly even home!" Kairi said in frustration. "In fact, just the other night I saw her sneaking out! If no one's punishing Namine than why should I be punished?!" Kairi said angrily. _

"_I doubt Namine's sleeping around" Leon said sternly. How did this conversation get to Namine? They were talking about Kairi's problem, not Namine's. _

"_Oh! Of course not! She's too busy with _Marlene_" the auburn haired girl spat out the name like it was a curse. "I don't know who she is, but when I saw Namine talking on the phone, she said 'Marlene' and she was smiling! I can't even get her to laugh anymore and _Marlene_ gets her to smile?!" the teenager exclaimed in vexation. _

_Leon was about to get back to the subject about her sleeping around when something hit him. The way that Kairi talked so scornfully. The way she had hatred in her eyes when she mentioned a girl named Marlene that Namine seemed to be hanging out with. _

_Kairi was jealous. _

_Now that he thought about it, Namine's new behavior caused her to often ignore Kairi. For the life of him, Namine _never_ ignored Kairi in all the years he knew her. Kairi was one of Namine's top priorities. Namine always gave her attention to Kairi when she wanted it. _

_But now, it seemed that Namine treated her as if she didn't exist. Surely that would mean that Kairi would want attention from another source if Namine wasn't giving her some. _

_Kairi was sleeping around… to get _attention_? _

_At this, white hot anger flowed inside of him. Kairi was degrading herself because Namine wouldn't give her the time of day unlike when they were children? _There areother ways to solve her problems besides selling herself!_ He thought with rage. Why didn't she come to him? Why didn't she let him help her? _

"_Kairi," he started out slowly. "Sorry, but this is one screwed up method to get what you want" he told her. _

"_I didn't know what to do!" she cried. Her eyes were beginning to well up with tears. "I just… with Namine not being there for me and all, I just took the first alternative I could find. I was desperate and stupid! But even though I knew that, I just couldn't stop! I just couldn't ignore all those boys giving me all of their time! It's wrong I know! But I just couldn't say no!" the tears were flowing freely now and she was practically sobbing. _

"_They only want you for your body, Kairi!" Leon shouted in order to get it through her head. "What you're doing is only going to hurt yourself! What would happen if your dad or Namine found out about this? What do you think they would feel?!" Leon exclaimed. _

"_They would be a-ashamed of m-me!" she hiccupped. "Don't t-tell them, L-Leon! Please don't tell them!" she begged. _

"_I… don't think I could, Kairi" Leon choked out. "No, I never could. I care about you too much to do something like that" he said to her. _

"_What… do you mean?" she asked him. Her heart pounded in her chest and she didn't know why. As if she was expecting something. Something that would make this a defining moment._

_Leon was silent. He was so unsure of what he was doing. He wondered if he was making the right decision, but as he looked at Kairi—how screwed up she became—he knew she needed him right now. _

_And he would be there for her no matter what. _

"_If you give me your heart, I'll be your everything" he told her as she stared at him with tears coming down her face. She let out a choked sob and launched herself into his awaiting arms. _

_It was rash and possibly the biggest mistake of his life, but all he knew right then was that he loved Kairi more than anything. _

**--**

Namine was silent all the while staring up at the sky. She didn't speak for a long time now, Leon noticed. A faraway look was in her eye as he felt she was remembering her own life seven years prior. He didn't dare ask about what she had been doing exactly. To this day, the change in Namine was still a mystery only she knew.

It was so strange to him. Further on, Namine had become so depressed. Her eyes were completely an icy blue. No emotion whatsoever was inside those beautiful yet lifeless orbs. The spark in them was gone; like a flame that burned out.

She had always gone off somewhere too. He and Tifa had a feeling it was to the same place since her pants were always dirty when she came home at night. She didn't speak; she didn't eat; all she did was sleep, then leave to get wherever she always went.

It was like she was a ghost. Just passing through and leaving.

When she was about seventeen though, she began to become her normal self again. More happy and cheerful. She also gained a childish quality as well. She was constantly around them hanging out like the old days—as if her mood swings and strange behavior never existed. They—happy with this change in Namine—didn't dare question a word about what had happened afraid she might revert back to that depressed state.

And now she was here today, listening to the story that occurred during her absence.

"So, Kairi was…" she couldn't finish her sentence. It was as if she couldn't believe it. Nonetheless, there were no negative traits on her face whatsoever. No scorn; no disgust; no pity; no anger. She was just solemn and somewhat disbelieved.

"Yeah, she was also my first" he told her with a blank expression.

"It's getting to the end isn't it?" she asked with a hint of sadness. "This story"

"I'm pretty sure you know how it ends" he replied.

"Yes, I do, but I still want to hear it. No, I _have_ to hear it" Namine told him.

**--**

_Flashback (3 years ago) _

_Twenty-three year old Leon walked up the stairs to the Narumi apartment. Stupid Namine; calling him in the middle of the night just to celebrate about Kairi getting into college. Couldn't she wait until the morning to give him the news? _

_Despite his crankiness, he was very proud of Kairi. She deserved to be heading off to college and making something of herself. In the back of his mind, he felt nervous. His hand drifted into his pocket and clutched something. He was sure this would be a night to remember. _

_He didn't even get a chance to knock when Namine flung open the door. Grabbing his shirt collar, she yanked him inside roughly. _

"_What took you Squally? The party's already started without you!" Eighteen-year-old Namine grinned and went behind him kicking him forward with her foot on his back. He stumbled forward and glared at the blonde who bounced over to a grinning Tifa. The rest of the occupants of the small apartment looked as he was: tired, exhausted, and irritated at Namine for waking them up. _

_Well, guess he knew who the two culprits are for this late night gathering. _

_Mr. Narumi was tired, but he had a joyful smile on his face at his daughter's energetic behavior. The man hardly ever got angry and was a very forgiving man. Leon couldn't help but admire him for that quality. It's not easy to let go of a grudge. _

_As he looked upon the others in the room, he spotted two newcomers. One was a tall blonde spiky haired male while the other had light wild brown hair. Both of them were male. _

"_Hey Leon," Tifa greeted smiling. Leon regarded her with a tired look making her laugh. Their gazes then drifted to where Namine was arguing with the brown haired male. He seemed to not enjoy his nickname Namine bestowed him if the yellings of him being a year older than her and thereby is not called "otouto-san" were any indication. _

"_That's Hayner" Tifa said filling him in. "He's Cloud's cousin. Namine seemed to have adopted the guy as her little brother despite the fact he's a year older than her" Tifa laughed. The two young adults were now beating each other on the heads. _

"_Cloud?" asked Leon with a raised eyebrow. Tifa winked over to the blonde haired silent guy who was watching Namine beat the crap out of Hayner. _

"_He's the cutie over there. Shame Kairi got to him first, but oh well. They're happy with each other. Did you know he even paid for her tuition? Now that's what I call a devoted boyfriend" Tifa said smiling as she watched Kairi and Cloud. She was truly happy for Kairi for she was like a younger sibling to the older woman. _

_Leon felt time freeze for a moment. Everything just became dead silent in his ears. All he could hear was something along the lines of something shattering and his chest hurting like hell. _

_His heart. It was his heart that was shattered into pieces. _

_No one seemed to notice his heartbroken state too engrossed in the festivities. After a while, the other occupants became more awake and talked together in a joyful atmosphere. _

_But not him. Instead of feeling warm and joyous like his friends, he felt cold; ice cold and sorrow. _

_Kairi… was with someone? _

_But that couldn't be right! It just couldn't, his mind screamed. How could she be dating someone when they were together? While they never came out with their relationship—because Kairi wanted to keep it a secret until she was old enough to be legally dating him—he had wanted to change that tonight. He loved her that much. He knew she loved him too. _

_But then again, she never did say those words, did she? Whenever they were together, he would tell her he loved her once in a while. Showing her he still cared. _

_But she never repeated those words. Not once. All she would do was smile when he said that and move on. _

_The realization hurt like a bitch. _

_As Namine was talking to Cloud about something, he had approached Kairi. His broken heart shattering over and over in his ears. Her violet eyes turned to him. Those violet eyes he had come to love and cherish. They shined with apology and guilt. No one noticed as they walked outside the apartment door. They just stood outside the Narumi apartment with the door shut. It was only them; silent and dead. _

"_Kairi… when—" _

"_I met him about a year ago" Kairi said smiling guiltily. "I never knew; never dreamed Leon that something like this ever existed. I love him so much" Kairi said with that smile never wavering. _

"_I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't find the right moment. I really hope that you won't hold any remorse for me and that you can forgive me" she said. _

_He didn't say a word. He couldn't say a word. Kairi walked forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. _

"_Thank you Leon; for everything you've done for me all these years. You're truly a wonderful person" Kairi told him with apologetic eyes. That godforsaken smile still glued on her face. "I know that probably you'll be mad at me, but trust me Leon. There's someone out there for you…" it was then that her eyes went downcast to the floor. Her bangs covered her features from his view. _

"…_but it's not me…" and with that she went back into the apartment leaving him completely broken. _

_He never saw the lone tear that slid down her face nor did he see the honest regret of what she had done. He never knew about the screaming in her head of how horrible she was to use him and how she wished she never had allowed herself and him this much grief. _

_Because whether they didn't know it or not… Kairi had loved him even though she loved Cloud more. _

_Leon clutched the black velvet box in his pocket in a vice-like grip. Leaving the apartment, he threw the accursed ring in the trash. _

_He was going to ask her to marry him. _

_Fate was certainly cruel indeed. _

**--**

Not a word; not a sound was uttered. The sky that was once a light blue was now bathed in many oranges, yellows, pinks, and purples. The two occupants of this lone meadow lied there. Unmoving and still. None of them speaking.

It wasn't like they couldn't speak. It was just they didn't know what to say.

The silence of the atmosphere was not at all suffocating. It was not joyous or uncomfortable. There was no atmosphere. It was just these two beings lying on grass in the middle of the countryside of Pennsylvania.

Leon was caught off guard when he heard laughing. He turned his head to watch his companion with her arm over her eyes. Her face was flushed and the air rang with false laughter. The laughter was bitter, yet light-hearted.

As this young woman laughed with this man watching her, clear tears were sliding down her rosy cheeks.

"What do you know?" she asked laughing at the bitter harsh irony of it all, "I really am a fool" more tears came down her face. He did not speak a word; he didn't even breathe loudly. All he did was watch her.

Oh how fate was indeed certainly cruel, he thought. The proof of it was this woman before it. This woman, who in his eyes was both cursed and blessed. She was blessed for having so many that loved her. She was blessed for having confidence and a free-spirit.

But then again, her blessings are apart of her curse as well.

Namine had many loved ones, but she could never give herself fully to someone. He saw and knew that she would always keep a tiny part of her heart to herself. Greedily clutching it and refusing to give it away. She was too wild; too spirited to give herself away. Her mind, a complex layout which only she herself could understand, would never be fully understood by others. Namine was one of a kind; people said that that was a gift.

But they did not see. No one but him could see so clearly that it was a curse.

She would leave them one day, he was sure of it. Eventually she would abandon them and chase her own aspirations and desires. She would leave them making them stand on their own feet and not lean on her. It may be tomorrow, it may be years from now, but he knew that day would come.

This was the reason he was not as desperate to get her back when she had disappeared. This was the reason he was not as convicted to find her. Because this man was positive from day one that Namine would leave them. She was far too wild. Far too spirited. Far too independent from others.

Far too _free_.

She was far too free for so much sacrificing her wants and needs for others. She was far too free to stay in that tiny little apartment forever. She was far too free to live the constant routine she was living everday. She was far too free to always be at everyone's beck and call. She was far too free to give herself completely to someone.

She was far too free to always be in this cage.

Because in the end, no one could own her. No one could ever control her. She was a different being all together. Her complexity was her entire being itself. A being that was damaged from the day she entered this world.

Namine had never had the blissful ignorance of a child. That pleasure escaped her grasps. She never had the leisure life of a child for she had to be the adult. She had to sacrifice her own self just to keep her family from falling apart. She had seen so much in her lifetime and could never recall back to the times when she was innocent for she never had it.

She was damaged. She was always going to be damaged.

He wondered why nobody could see it. Could see that Namine was beyond the point of fixation. Everyone was ignorant to believe they could actually "fix" Namine. Nobody would ever "fix" Namine. The damage was too great. Sure, they could heal some parts of her, but no one would ever be able to "fix" her.

Maybe the reason she was childish now was because she didn't have a childhood when she was younger. Perhaps her subconscious was portraying the childlike quality she never had the gratification of experiencing.

Perhaps he was thinking too much. All of this brooding wasn't healthy. At times he would tell himself that he was thinking ludicrous thoughts. His brain would remind him that Namine would never leave them. Even if his heart had said otherwise, his brain convinced him that she wouldn't leave.

Consequently though, there were instances that proved otherwise. The instances where he could clearly see her subconscious desire for freedom breaking out to the surface. Today had been one of those instances.

And that is when he would admit his heart was indeed right.

He recollected that once Namine told him she didn't believe in fate. That people make their own destiny. Her fate was to always stay with them inside her cage.

She would defy her fate by choosing to break the lock and fly away.

And yet, he was the only one who saw this. The only one who had known what her future would bring her. Not even Namine herself knew of her desire to break free.

What do you know? Namine Narumi was ignorant after all.

* * *

**Karin: Okay, my fingers hurt now. 36 pages. That's the longest chapter I ever wrote. I hope you all enjoyed it. Oh, and good news! Popularity Contest everyone! **

**Rules: **

**-Only 4 votes per chapter. You can divide the votes how ever you want i.e- one character could get three votes while another just got one. Or one could get all four votes. You get the picture. **

**-You can vote for any character in this story. When I mean any, I mean ANY character. It could even be a minor or an OC. **

**-You can only vote once per chapter. I will not count it if you vote for the same chapter twice. If you are having problems reviewing the next chapter on the other hand, please explain that in your review. **

**Karin: Have fun everyone! Results will be posted at the end of the story! **

**See ya Next time! **


	18. Namine Narumi: The Shopper

**Karin: Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while. Here's the next chapter to Love at First Write! **

**Roxas, Sora, Riku, Axel, Demyx: We hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, my friends. And most likely I never will XD

**Replies to Reviews from Chapter 16: **

**Mooncry- **Yes! Thank you so much for voting for this chapter! Yes, definitely poor Leon. Sometimes I wonder how I can write things like that. I feel so bad for the characters afterwards.

**sAppHiRa-hiMe- **Cool! Glad to see you enjoyed the portrayal of Leon and Namine's friendship. You know, after reading your review, I went back and read the chapter to myself and at the end, I was really POed at Kairi if you catch my drift—and I even wrote it! XD But yeah, Leon will get someone eventually. It may take a while, but trust me on it that I definitely do plan for him to hook up with someone else. Hope your Sora/Namine story "Scarlet Temperament" is doing well. I love that story with a passion.

**Angel Aliera- **I don't even know how Kairi could do that and I wrote the thing, to be honest. Thank you so much for voting for this chapter. Highly appreciate it. As for your question, do you mean this one will she end up with someone or in the sequel?

**Lebrezie- **No, you don't vote on your favorite chapter, just characters per chapter. Say if you voted for Roxas for two points and Namine for two points—since the total of points you can use each chapter is four—for the previous chapter, you can either vote for them again with a different way to divide your points (like say if you wanted to give Roxas three points and Namine one) or use the same division of points you used for a previous chapter or you can vote for different characters instead like maybe Sora or Axel. It doesn't have to be a favorite character in that specific chapter, but what I'm saying is, you can't place all your votes for the same chapter. Each chapter you get four points, once you vote for that chapter, you can't vote until the next one comes out. It has nothing to do with the content of the chapter, just the fact that you can't keep using only one chapter to vote in. I really don't know how to explain this any other way so if you still don't understand, maybe further on you will when you see the points for the characters at the end of each chapter. Sorry if you're really confused.

**El unico hombre libre- **Thanks. Sorry this chapter took so long to update though. Hope you continue to like this story.

**.Nana Potato.- **That's okay; you reviewed so that's all that matters, Nana-chan. I know, I feel bad for Leon too. Yeah, you're probably right about the whole Namine jumping in after him and kicking his butt lol XD. Hmmm, I don't really think she's going to end up with anyone in this one, but in the sequel she might—still not sure about that. You think my story is inspiring? Coolness!

**Ohhitsloveee- **Really? Well, thank you very much for reviewing then. I appreciate it. It's good to know that people can relate to Namine and see the humanistic quality of her. I hope to see more of your reviews in the future as well XD

**Metallicababy55- **Glad to see you think this is a good story. Sorry for the wait.

**Aswaxsora- **Awesomeness! Another Namine fan! Welcome to this story my fellow Namine crusader! Hope you continue to like it.

* * *

_Recap: _

_And yet, he was the only one who saw this. The only one who had known what her future woul,d bring her. Not even Namine herself knew of her desire to break free._

_What do you know? Namine Narumi was ignorant after all._

_End of Recap: _

* * *

**Namine Narumi—The Shopper**

**-**

**-**

**-**

"Heads up!" shouted Tifa as the volley ball headed straight for her teammate. Said teammate grinned excitedly as their cerulean eyes caught sight of the flying projectile heading towards them.

"Got it!" the blonde yelled and dove for the white ball. Bunting it with her fists, it flew back over the net where Leon, Rai, and Olette were.

"That was weak." Leon called as he hit it back. Fuu got the ball this time setting it towards Rai.

"Excuse me? Well, how's _this_ for weak, Squally!" Namine called when she spiked the ball on his side of the court. Scoring a point, Namine stuck her tongue out at him, "I'm just too awesome for you, my serious friend."

"Yeah, yeah, quit shoving your ego in my face, midget." Leon told her making her eye twitch.

"How about I shove it up your ass, you prick!" Namine growled.

"Language, woman. Jeez, no wonder you haven't got a boyfriend yet." Leon muttered the last part to himself but Namine heard him perfectly.

"Die you insensitive moron!" Namine screeched and spiked the ball harder slamming Leon in the face. The others winced as Tifa laughed her head off at the fallen Leon.

"That's what you get, Leon! Take that!" Tifa cried in hysterical laughter. Everyone knows there are just some things that you can't get away with saying to a woman. "You got what you deserved!"

Currently, Namine and her buds were spending Saturday in the park. Since it was so sunny and warm out—despite being in the month of December. Usually temperature is erratic these days anyway—Namine had asked/dragged everyone out to play a good, healthy game of volley ball.

Or more like a fun game of smiting all who oppose her team. Yeah, that could be it too.

Wearing her trademark madras—now with the sleeves stitched back on courtesy of Olette once again—with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a black form fitting tank top with faded light blue jeans and sneakers, Namine clearly showed she was taking over the nice weather and wore light clothes. Her blonde hair—now two and a half inches past her shoulders—was tied in a low, slightly messy, braid. Instead of the usual thick framed glasses she always had, she wore contacts once again.

For some reason, she had a feeling Tifa wasn't going to get her new glasses. Something about them taking away her cuteness and making her look way younger than that she should. Looks like she'll just have to get a check up and see if she'll need just glasses for reading or something because no one was going to let her wear glasses all the time anymore.

"Guys, I think that's enough pummeling Leon, y'know." Rai told the opposing team.

"But it's so much fun!" Namine and Tifa whined causing the three unharmed people to sweat drop.

"Maybe we should take a break guys." Olette said politely taking pity on the poor male. Honestly, she would never understand the crazy friendship those three had. They're close enough to be siblings and yet they induce painful violence on one another for their entertainment.

Namine had once told her that violence was how they showed their affection for each other. If that was true, then they must love each other _a lot_.

Unanimously everyone else agreed and went to plop down on the grass or sit on the nearby bench. A cool breeze blew by making them all sigh in contentment.

"Hey Namine," Fuu said getting the blonde's attention who was sitting with her legs spread out among the grass and her chin tilted up towards the sky with her eyes closed, "Why didn't you invite those crazy bosses of yours? I'm sure they'd like something like this."

Opening her cerulean eyes and turning her head towards Fuu, Namine wore a bemused expression.

"I did, but Riku said they didn't feel like it." she replied turning her head up towards the sky again, her eyes full of wonder. "I'm not really surprised since they've been acting a little strange lately. It wasn't anything serious so I never asked." Namine explained staring at the clear blue sky.

"Strange how?" asked Olette curiously. She only met Namine's bosses once at Thanksgiving and they seemed nice and normal—Namine begged to differ on that statement of course—plus, they seemed really close to Namine so it's weird that Namine doesn't know what's wrong with them.

"Well, how do I put this…?" Namine asked herself watching some clouds pass by leisurely. "They've been spacing out a lot and kinda down—like they were dreading something but not really. Must have something on their minds I suppose." She shrugged and left it at that.

"You're too carefree for your own good, Namine," Tifa told the blonde, "Doesn't it bother you that they're not telling you what's wrong?" the brunette asked her best friend.

"Not really. It doesn't seem serious so I'm not worried." Namine replied. "Besides, if they wanna talk, they'll talk. That's all there is to it." she said completely unbothered by her bosses' strange behavior. Seeing their expressions, she let out a sigh.

"It's better to let them try to solve it themselves. After all, they won't tell me if I pry. Those guys keep secrets from me all the time. It's just who they are. Personally, I don't give a shit if it's fruitless to on my part." Namine explained.

"So basically as long as it doesn't affect you, you're okay with it…" Leon drawled out. Well, he shouldn't be surprised; after all, Namine doesn't make it her mission to interfere in people's personal life if she sees it's not a threat to anyone. Like she said, it's none of her business so it shouldn't matter to her.

"Yup; it's doesn't look serious so it's harmless just leaving them be. All I can do is just treat them normally and not make a fuss." the blonde said.

Tifa stood up and walked over to where Namine was sitting. Pulling the girl up, she embraced her and patted her head like a mother would.

"Awww, you're so cute with your nonchalance at times! I'm so happy I raised you to be a mature young woman, Namine." Tifa told her jokingly yet with fondness.

"You didn't raise me, Hag. You were just the fly that buzzed around my head constantly. You know, the type that really annoy you and all you want to do is get a fly swatter and—"

"No sarcasm when we're having a moment." Tifa interrupted her friend's playful yet sardonic comment. All of a sudden though, Tifa opened her eyes with a perplexed expression on her features. Pushing back Namine a little and holding her shoulders, Tifa examined the girl for a few seconds before hugging her again with the concentrated expression still upon her face.

"Namine…" Tifa started out. "Did you always reach to almost my chin…?" she asked the blonde.

"Umm, no, I barely reach above your fricken big chest, Hag. Why?" asked Namine.

Tifa pulled away again and actually looked at Namine. I mean, observed her every detail. Suddenly, her ruby eyes widened in realization.

"Oh my god! You've gotten taller!" Tifa cried with her eyes the size of saucer plates. "You've really gotten taller! You're almost up to my chin, Namine! Holy crap there _is_ a God!" Tifa exclaimed.

"What the hell do you mean by that, Hag?!" Namine growled out as one of her eyes was twitching.

"You know, now that you mention it Tifa, Namine did seem to get taller." Fuu said approaching the two.

"She's not as scrawny anymore either, y'know." Rai said amazed. "Yeah, she's still a little thing, but she looks a lot healthier than what she used to look."

"What? I looked perfectly healthy I'll have you know!"

"And believe it or not, I think she's finally got some goods to show off now. Although, compared to normal circumstances, they're still pretty small." Leon pointed out as he bluntly pointed an index finger lazily at Namine's chest.

"I. Am. So. Going. To. Kill. You. Squally." Namine stressed every word of that sentence in a deathly tone. Oh yes, maiming him would be _sweet_. (a/n: Namine's stature looks like that from Kingdom Hearts II now if it helps you guys to picture her better)

"I think you look very nice, Namine." Olette told the girl trying to quell her homicidal thoughts on a certain male whose name starts with an "S" and ends with a "quall" "But I wonder, how come you seem to be taller now?" she asked the blonde.

Namine placed a finger to her chin in thought. After a few seconds, she snapped her fingers with an absentminded look.

"Probably because those idiots with money in their pockets practically force feed me healthy food. I swear, they even give me a list of the healthiest foods found on the internet to make sure I know what to buy at the grocery store. Sometimes they'll even make me eat dinner with them 'cause they know I wouldn't poison them for they sign my pay checks." Namine answered.

"Awww, that is so sweet of them." Tifa said as she patted Namine on the head. The blonde only gave a scoff and a mutter sounding something along the lines of them forcing her to eat with them or else they'll make her wear that stupid witch costume again. Recently they threatened her with a maid's costume they bought which, honestly, scared the hell out of her. "You should get them something!" Tifa told her friend.

"What? Why? All they do is kill any remaining sanity I have left and make me want to give myself a self-induced concussion." Namine replied seriously making the others sweat drop.

"Yeah, but they also take care of you and make sure you're safe. Jeez Namine, they're more aware of your health and well-being than you are." Tifa said. That sure was true. Namine didn't have regards towards her own health or safety most of the time. Why did her friend have to have such a lack of self-caution?

"That's not—"

"It is true and you know it. Now, you should get them something to thank them, missy." Tifa told her sternly.

"Oh come on, they're fricken rich for crying out loud. They don't need me to get them something! I already cook for them and deal with their idiocy. That in itself should be a gift from God." Namine said stubbornly.

"Christmas is coming up, y'know." Rai chimed in. "Maybe you should get them a Christmas present, y'know." he suggested.

"Great idea, Rai!" Tifa praised him. "Namine can get them a Christmas present for a thank you for taking care of her!" she said cheerfully.

"Why should I get them a gift again?" asked Namine skeptically while crossing her arms.

"Because they helped you get taller. Something no one thought was possible." Leon commented.

"Oh please, for all we know it could be my hormones actually starting to catch up with my body—"

"No explanations, missy!" Tifa cut her off frustrated while she wagged a finger at the girl. "You're getting them some kind of gift and that's final!"

"And what if I don't?" Namine inquired hotly.

Tifa's eye twitched and she took a deep breath.

**

* * *

**

No orange soda for three months. That was the penalty if Namine refused to get a gift for those rich bastards. Tifa had told her that she would do everything in her power to make sure Namine was orange sodaless for three months—possibly longer if she wanted.

_Dammit, _thought Namine begrudgingly, _why the hell should I have to get them something? They have lots of money for crying out loud! They don't need some crappy gift from me. Probably make fun of it or something anyway. _

With hands lazily placed in her pockets, the braided blonde haired girl trudged grumpily through uncharted territory, or as teenagers call it, the mall.

Namine wasn't very fond of malls. Don't get her wrong, they were okay at times—especially the food courts and bookstores. She could hang out there all day—but there were more bad things than good.

Bad thing Number One: rude people

She'd been almost knocked over eighteen times so far. And none of them had even bothered—or cared—to apologize for bumping into her.

Bad thing Number Two: The noise

God, could anyone ever hear themselves think in this place? Echoes of everyone's voices kept bouncing off the walls and the high ceiling making it much worse.

Bad thing Number Three: Children could get lost in here.

She lost Kairi once in a mall. They were twelve at the time and Kairi still really hasn't forgiven her for putting a leash around her waist for a month because she had went off with her friends without alerting Namine.

Bad thing Number Four: You can get lost.

She's not even going to go into that subject oh how many times she got lost and the map was only a few feet away from her without her realizing it.

And finally bad thing Number Five: Snobby teenagers.

Now Namine was sure they could be nice folk and all once you got to know them, but teens had a tendency to stop in the middle of where people are walking—strangely they always pick places where people need to get through the most like doorways or in the middle of the walking area—and then blame _you_ for knocking into _them_. In retrospect though, Namine admitted that only a small percentage of teens were only silly enough to do this because most of them are very nice and entertaining to be around. Still, it annoyed the heck out of her when she, a twenty-one year old woman, was sassed by a fifteen or sixteen year old for no apparent reason.

But there's one thing Namine can always hold over nasty teens heads when they give her sass: she had a license and could drink legally. Yeah that's right, she went there. Insert sticking out tongue here.

_Besides, what would I even get them? _she asked herself. _They're so out there that it's hard to come up with something they would like for a present. _

Indeed, Namine couldn't think of what to give any of her bosses for a present. Maybe something they would enjoy like an occult novel for Sora or a new date book for Riku, but those things sounded so plain. So flat. It would seem meaningless to her to give them something like that that they could easily buy.

If she got them something, it had to be special.

Plus, if she didn't get something good, no orange soda for three months. Now that would be the worst present ever for Christmas if that occurred.

Basically Namine was at a stalemate in the matter.

Letting out a defeated sigh, the blonde's shoulders slumped a little in misery of it all. Already she could feel the effects of it being a long day slugging up her system.

"Eh, Nami-chan?" someone asked behind her making her raise her head and turn towards them. Standing five feet away from her were in fact Demyx and Axel wearing casual clothes and had identical expressions of surprise. "It _is_ Nami-chan!" Demyx confirmed when he saw her face.

"Hey there," Axel greeted her still with wide eyes in wonder. "At first we didn't think it was you, but I guess Demyx was right. You look different sort of." He told the blonde.

"Apparently I've gotten taller." Namine answered with a shrug. Demyx looked at her up and down before a look of absolute shock came upon his face.

"Ah! You're right! You have gotten taller, Nami-chan!" he exclaimed.

_And she's filled out more a little too… _Axel thought as he looked at one particular area that Namine would surely maim then kill him ruthlessly for gazing at. He thought it better to keep his comment to himself because of that fact.

"You guys here alone?" Namine inquired when she caught no sight of blonde, brown, or silver. Axel shook his head.

"No, it's just me and him." Axel stated. "This guy—"he jabbed a thumb at Demyx—"wanted to go somewhere today since he and I aren't busy. So I thought 'why not the mall since he loves being around crowds and stuff?'" he explained to the blonde haired woman.

"Oh, that makes sense." Namine let out a little smile at that. Demyx did seem like the type of person to like being around people.

"Hey Nami-chan, why are you here?" Demyx asked her curiously.

"Shopping." was all she replied. She didn't want to share that she was shopping for _them_.

"I didn't picture you as the type to shop at a mall." Axel told her idly. Again, Namine only shrugged with a nonchalant expression.

"Special occasion." Hey, her orange soda was on the line here!

"Hmmm…" Demyx let out as he scratched his chin thinking. Unbeknownst to the trio, many pairs of eyes were watching them—or rather many pairs of _female_ eyes were watching _Demyx_ and _Axel_.

_They're so hot! _The females thought mentally swooning.

"Nn, why don't you come with us, Nami-chan?" Demyx asked the blonde excitedly eager to spend some time with the blonde haired girl. "I promise you'll have lots and lots of fun!" he pleaded cutely.

Unlike the many females who nearly fainted at the sight, Namine only stared at him as she thought over the invitation. It would only be even more difficult to buy a present for them when they were there to see her do it, but then again, this would also give her an excuse to procrastinate for said gift.

It seems procrastination won this round hands down.

"Sure, why not?" she asked herself. As soon as those words left her mouth, Demyx tackled her in a super glomp and nuzzled her cheek.

"You are so cute Nami-chan! Have my babies!" he shouted very happy that she was coming with them.

The females and Axel could only think of one thing at that moment.

_Kill… _

* * *

Meanwhile Sora, Roxas, and Riku sat in their respective offices in their own different corporate buildings. Each of them were working diligently and silently as they concentrated on getting their work down.

All of a sudden though each man snapped his head up as he felt some kind of alarm going off in his mind. Each of their eyes narrowed when they recognized the feeling.

_Someone's making a pass at Namine... _

* * *

"Alright! Alright! Enough love!" Axel said as he yanked the dirty-blonde off of Namine. "Can we get going now? After all, you were the one who wanted to come here so it's your responsibility to entertain me." he said to Demyx with a tone of irritation.

"Right, sorry Axel." Demyx apologized to the redhead sheepishly. He then turned to Namine with a big grin on his face. "Shall we go?"

"Go where?" Namine asked tilting her head slightly. The hyper male's grin only grew when she asked that.

"Anywhere of course!" he exclaimed.

"That's a waste of time." Axel and Namine told the male bluntly.

"But if you already have a destination in mind, it isn't fun. Looking everywhere without having a mind on where to go is where the real fun is." Demyx told them smiling as if his logic was the only thing that made sense in the world. Well, maybe in his world it did…

"Whatever." they both said and the three proceeded to "Anywhere".

* * *

Riku sighed as he typed on his computer begrudgingly. Although you really wouldn't be able to tell much from his expression, but the narrowed aqua-green eyes were an indication not to disturb him with nonsense at the moment.

He needed to get this one document done if he wanted to leave. Sadly, the darn thing was about thirty pages to go through—he didn't know why his clients were so paranoid about simple documents like this and send them to him. They always made a big deal out of these things—and he was in no mood to work at the moment.

It did not please him in the least that while he was doing this tedious document, Namine was most likely being hit on or spending time in a male's company. The prospect of their lovely maid being wooed by some idiot did not sit well with him.

Unexpectedly, the phone rang bringing the silver haired male out of his violent musings on the bastard who dared make a pass at Namine. Running a hand through his hair in fatigue, he composed himself before picking up the phone and placing it to his ear.

"Hello…?" he inquired. He was silent for a few seconds as he listened to the voice talking on the other line. A light smile broke out on his features when he discovered who exactly was calling him.

"Yes, it has been a while, hasn't it mother…?"

* * *

"Curly fries! Oh how I've missed thee!" cooed Namine and Demyx as they dove into the curly fries excitedly. Axel sat a foot away with a huge sweat drop on his head.

They were currently eating in the food court as the scent of curly fries had memorized Namine and Demyx during their aimless pursuing towards a destination. Axel didn't really care where they ended up really so he didn't complain when the two raced off to the food court.

In fact, deep down—way down where no one will ever get him to spew his thoughts—he was actually, dare Axel say, enjoying himself nicely despite all the nonsense going on today. He knew Demyx had been very fidgety lately along with the others, but he was used to their brooding. He supposed with Demyx it alienated him to see him so somber and detached.

_Aren't we all…? _Axel asked himself with an inward wince. None of his friends or him were looking forward to the next couple of weeks. This time of year always made them become sulky and apprehensive.

Perhaps that was why Axel had agreed to Demyx's proposal of them going out today since they had nothing to do without a fuss. They needed a breath of fresh air—they both knew it—and what luck they had when they met up with their very special person.

Axel couldn't help the fond smile come upon his features as he looked upon Namine who was sipping her soda—yup, it was orange—she was something else he knew. He always knew ever since he laid eyes on her beating the crap out of one of the other candidates at their interview for the occupation of being their maid.

Suddenly, all of that seemed so long ago. When Namine had walked into the door and they had their first encounter with her. So much has happened in that period of time making it seem like they've been together for years instead of over three months. He could also see that they've all changed a lot since she came into their lives. Demyx had told him that once—that Namine had changed them—he was surprised to say that Demyx was right when he actually thought about it.

It was soon after he realized that that he too began seeing the changes for himself. Like how Riku seemed to be more open with them or how Roxas seemed to have gained a better ability on how to express his emotions and learn to understand others. Like how Sora isn't as manipulative with others and is considerate of others outside of their group of friends or how Demyx allows himself to let others in and form bonds with them.

And him. He changed because of Namine as well.

Axel sat there musing on the wonders of how this blonde haired woman made his life special as he looked around the mall. His emerald eyes swept over the area until his eyes caught something interesting.

The redhead rose from his seat gaining the attention of his two companions. He just waved them off with a smirk and a hand.

"Back right back. I wanna check something out." he told the two of them. Namine and Demyx looked at him questioningly.

"You want us to come with you?" Demyx asked his friend. Axel shook his head and gave them a wink.

"Nah, you have fun here, kay?" and with that, he left the food court leaving the two alone.

Namine continued slurping her soda quietly as Demyx sat looking at his curly fries. All of a sudden, the two didn't know what to say. Or rather, Demyx didn't know what to say and Namine just waited silently as she sensed him return to melancholy somewhat.

It was a while before Demyx spoke.

"I wonder how the others are doing right now…" he said all of a sudden.

"You mean Riku, Roxas, and Sora?" Namine asked him. Demyx nodded.

"Yeah, they had work today while Axel and I stayed home." he replied.

"It always seems to be like that. I mean, you and Axel being able to have more free time than those three that is…" Namine observed.

"Well, Nami-chan, they do have really big companies to look after." Demyx pointed out to her.

"Yeah, bigger than you and Axel's put together." Namine said. Demyx raised an eyebrow.

"How'd you know that? I was sure you didn't concern yourself with our businesses." Demyx reminded her.

"Axel told me when I got sick that one time." Namine told him recalling the time that she had gotten sick and Axel and Demyx had to care for her while the other three went to work. "He said that Roxas, Sora, and Riku were really good at putting up an act for other companies and such."

"Oh really? Anything else he told you?" Demyx asked curious and maybe a little apprehensive. Maybe Axel did reveal something to her and didn't tell him…

"That he wouldn't do that for a long time like they did because it's really boring." Namine finished. When she said that, Demyx couldn't help but let out a small smile.

"He told you all that when he only met you two days before that? Axel must've found you easy to talk to if he was willing to share even that little bit of info about all of us." Demyx said as he remembered that Axel had been a bit skeptical with Demyx' confession about Namine when they shared that conversation in the mansion while Namine was sick.

"_True, but I like Nami-chan not because of that, but because she's really fun to be with and somehow she makes me happy."_

"_How can you know that when you only known her for two days?"_

Like back then, Demyx sighed and grinned.

"_Like everyone else: I just know_"

"I doubt it. He was probably just being friendly to a vulnerable, sick girl hoping to get something." Namine scoffed. "Girls usually like guys who open up to them and share their emotions."

"You like guys who share their emotions with you, Nami-chan?" Demyx asked raising an eyebrow in surprise. The blonde snorted.

"I said _girls_ and _usually_, not _me_ and _definitely_." she told him.

"But doesn't that mean that you could still like that in a guy?" he asked her.

"When did the subject change to my preferences for men? Weren't we just talking about Axel?" Namine reminded him.

It was silent then. This was the first time that Namine had a serious conversation solely with Demyx. Fun loving and silly Demyx. Who knew?

"Nami-chan, is there anything special that you like about Axel?" Demyx asked suddenly making Namine nearly choke on her soda. She spluttered and turned to him.

"What?" she asked him incredulously. "Where the hell did _that_ come from, Demyx?"

"I mean," Demyx averted his eyes from her, "Is there anything that you like about Axel that stands out amongst the rest of us?"

"Why ask that?" Namine raised an eyebrow as she recovered from her soda nearly entering her wind pipe.

"Well, it's just that… out of all of us, you and Axel seem to have the most easy going conversations…"

Namine processed what Demyx just said to her. She supposed she never noticed it before, but she always seems to have the most agreeable relationship with Axel. Axel was fun and very clever in games and such. He reminds her of how she is with Tifa and Leon. That's what she always liked about Axel. She could always be herself possibly the most with him because he didn't judge her crazy antics—he often joined her making jokes with each other and having fun.

"Demyx, this question seems irreverent if you're just going to answer it for me."

"Do you like Axel more than us?" Demyx asked her staring straight into her sapphire eyes. "Do you like him more than me?"

"That's not—"

"Because you're very important to me, and I like you just for you, Namine." Demyx told her seriously with his hands on her shoulders.

_Ba-dump Ba-dump Ba-dump_

_What the hell is going on here? _Namine thought to herself as she felt a heated blush go against her cheeks. She had never seen Demyx so serious before—so grown up and acting like his actual age. The fact that he had called her by her name and not the nickname he dubbed her added to the effect.

Suddenly though, Demyx's words seemed to have processed in his own mind as his eyes widened considerably and he removed his shoulders. He looked at her apologetically.

"I-I'm so sorry, Nami-chan." he began whole-heartedly, "I-I didn't mean to have weirded you out like that! It's just that a lot has been on my mind lately and I just—Argh! I don't know! But I really am sorry! Just forget about this, okay?" he beseeched her.

Namine gave him a nod despite her apparent confusion. It wasn't a lie; she could tell that a lot has been on his mind lately. She's noticed it perfectly.

"Yeah, I understand Demyx. Don't worry about it." she gave him a smile.

"Good, the others wouldn't forgive me if I crossed the line with you, Nami-chan." Demyx smiled referring to the others' attachment to her as well—an attachment that she was unaware of.

"What?"

"Nothing!" the male waved it off good-naturedly.

"Hey guys. I'm back." Axel said announcing his return. He grinned as he held up three tickets. "I found something fun for us to do."

* * *

Roxas merely sat in his office begrudgingly where no one would bother him. He was in a bad mood—his employees could feel it—and if anyone makes a wrong move, they were sure the young man would fire them on the spot because of his extremely sour temper.

No one really knew what caused his bad mood. When he came in this morning, the young man was in a fairly good mood. He greeted everyone politely as usual and headed towards his office intent on starting on his work. Then all of a sudden, a few hours later, he came out of his office looking like he wanted to murder someone and demanded that he could take leave right away.

Sadly, the poor sap that had to tell him he couldn't leave—under orders from the senior CEO and the fact that he was behind in his quota—almost fainted on the spot as he was forced to endure Roxas's glare the whole time while he stammered out his reason that the male couldn't leave.

So now here he was, in a particularly foul setting and not having a chance to smite Namine's would-be-wooer.

And he was Namineless. Can't forget that _lovely_ fact to add more to his already put out state.

_Damn him, _Roxas growled in his mind at that accused man who ordered him to stay here in order to get his quota done. As if _that man_ hadn't caused enough problems with him, he had to add more and more to the pile.

His entire life had been what we like to call the snowball effect all because of _that man_.

Abruptly the phone rang yanking Roxas out of his thoughts. Angrily he grabbed the phone and placed it towards his ear intent on giving someone sass for calling when he was in a bad mood.

"What—"

"_Before you start yelling at me for your incredibly foul mood, I suggest you shut it so I can talk." _Riku's voice drifted in on the other line. Roxas visibly—if only slightly—relaxed his shoulders. At least it was someone he knew and not a moron.

"Hey," he greeted the other man tiredly, "What's up?"

"_I just got off the phone with my mother…"_ Riku replied. Roxas, for the first time since he got the "someone's making a pass at Namine" feeling, he gave a smile.

"Really? How is she? I haven't heard from her in a while."

"_Yes, it has been a while hasn't it?" _the silver haired male's voice carried a bit of melancholy in it. _"She asked how we all were. I told her we were all fine…" _

"You don't sound as happy about that as I thought you would." Roxas pointed out as he listened to the other line. It sounded like Riku gave off a fatigued sigh and shifted a bit before continuing.

"_It's not my mother herself, per say…" _Riku started. _"It's what she had to tell me while on the phone." _

Roxas drummed his fingers on the desk a little as he waited patiently for Riku to say the next thing.

"_It's about our yearly _reunion_ with our _parents_." _Riku's voice spat out like it was something vile. Now Roxas was becoming apprehensive. If Riku sounded like this, it couldn't be good.

"What did she say, Riku?" he asked the older male.

"… _They knew about her, Roxas.… They want to meet her…" _

It was at this that Roxas momentarily froze. He knew what "her" Riku was referring to…

"How'd they find out? I'm pretty sure we've been keeping her under the radar very well."

"_Someone ratted." _Riku said distastefully. _"When I find out who it was, I'll make sure they'll wish they've never been born…" _

"Can't your mother do something?" Roxas's voice sounded strained. He didn't want this. He didn't want Namine to get involved in their crap. Especially with their parents.

"_No, she tried to dissuade them, but they wouldn't budge." _Riku replied gravely. _"They want to meet Namine. Even yours and Sora's parents are coming _together _just to do so." _

"Great, so basically it's family feud with a mix of a game of trying to break our maid." Roxas said sarcastically. "So it's nine against six because of your mother on our side."

"_I doubt they'll do anything that extreme, Roxas. There may be animosity between yours and Sora's parents, but you have to remember they have standards and pride holding them back from biting each other's heads off." _

"Pssh, tell that to them. Still, I'm more worried about how they plan to approach Namine. Especially with _that man_ on their side. I don't want him anywhere near her."

"_I don't either Roxas." _Riku said solemnly. _"I don't either." _

* * *

"Laser Tag…?" asked the curious faces of Namine and Demyx as they and Axel stood in front of the entrance towards the Laser Tag place in the mall. Axel just grinned mischievously as he gazed upon them.

"Yeah, it's a great way to exercise and practice strategizing while high on adrenaline. The perfect mental warfare game packed with kick butt laser guns!" the redhead said proudly.

"Smiting ones enemies with lasers you say?" Namine asked the redhead. When he nodded still with his present grin, the woman couldn't help but give off her own smirk. "Oh yes, the perfect annihilation game. Please continue."

"Wait—you mean we shoot people with lasers?" Demyx asked alarmed. He couldn't believe parents were allowing this dangerous game to exist. Axel bonked him on the head lightly.

"Not _real_ lasers moron. They're plastic lasers with lights inside. They're absolutely harmless." Axel explained to his friend who sighed in relief while Namine pouted. Where was the fun in smiting when they were _plastic_ lasers? Stupid false advertising…

_Oh well, there's always Christmas to look forward to… _Namine shrugged shoving the reminder of her predicament of finding her bosses a Christmas present to the back of her mind. She'd worry about it later. After all, why wait when you can procrastinate?

"Okay, that sounds like fun." Demyx agreed to Axel's idea. Namine grinned too except she was grinning at the prospect of getting a giant laser from Santa Claus. Hehe, she can threaten that Old Hag to give her her orange soda if she takes it away for not getting the rich nutjobs a Christmas present. Oh what fun that would be!

"Nami-chan? Why do you have an evil grin on your face…?" Demyx asked but she wasn't listening. Axel merely shook his head and clasped a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Demyx, Demyx, Demyx." Axel shook his head in hopelessness, "We have to remember that the little lady is very violent and these games cause her to have insane violent thoughts in her zeal for annihilation." Axel explained as if it was a very normal thing.

"Oh, right…"

"What are we waiting for? Let's get going to the annihilating already!" Namine shouted and dragged them inside like a child entering a candy store.

Cue massive sweat drop right here.

* * *

The atmosphere was tense and a dead sort of silence hung in the air. Not a living thing in sight. Tensions were high and hearts beat frantically in the darkness.

Suddenly there is a movement making everything freeze in fear. Is it an enemy? A squirrel? A trick of the imagination? One cannot be sure in these harsh mental warfare conditions.

Then it is all silent again. Not a breath is breathed as they wait. And wait. And wait. And wait—

"Yaaarrrrhhh!" Namine let out a war cry jumping out of nowhere. Axel and Demyx nearly die of a heart attack at her surprise ambush.

"The enemy is in range!" Axel cried.

"Roger!" confirmed Demyx as he readied his laser gun. He shot at the blonde haired intruder rapidly with no succession as she was a sly dodger. He looked up towards his target who was grinning at him with a mocking glint in her eyes. It was as if she was telling him he couldn't shoot her if he got even a machine laser gun on his side magically.

Yes, a devious enemy indeed.

"Private! Shoot the enemy already! Her taunts are humiliating." Axel ordered his "soldier" to shoot the "enemy"

Demyx nodded and began to prepare his ammo. Once he was done, he aimed for the intruder once more.

But she was gone. She disappeared.

All of a sudden, a laser shot out and hit Axel in the back. He gave off a cry and crashed towards the ground. Demyx's eyes widened and dropped his gun to go to his fallen comrade.

"Axel!" he cried as he raced towards the redhead. He kneeled down beside Axel and turned him over so he was facing him. "Don't die on me, sir!"

The blonde menace only smirked triumphantly at the sight of her fallen enemy.

"It's too late… I'm hit…:" his voice sounded weak. No! This couldn't be it! Demyx screamed in his mind.

"No! You're going to be just fine! We'll get you better and we'll pal around like old times at our guarding posts! I will not get another partner Axel, do you hear me?!" Demyx said towards the dying soldier.

Axel merely grinned weakly at the sight of his comrade. He really was a good friend.

"Sorry, private." General Axel apologized. "But the blonde alien of the midget planet got me…"

"But who will protect us from the aliens if you're gone, General?!" Demyx pleaded him. "We cannot fall to the midget aliens of Nomacron Perciai 8!" (A/n: I know I didn't spell that right. It's from Futurama)

"Then it's all up to you, soldier." Axel whispered. "You have to save us from the evil aliens."

Demyx gave off a sniffle and nodded.

"Do me a favor soldier…?"

"Yes! Anything!" Demyx agreed right away.

"Tell my fangirls… I'm not gay…" and with that, General Axel died.

"General Axel? General! NNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Cue massive large sweat drop here.

* * *

"Any last words before I end your life and take over your measly planet for my race?" the blonde alien sneered as Private Demyx kneeled before her in defeat only five minutes later.

Dmeyx bowed his head in shame at having lost. She was unstoppable this evil alien.

"Why are you doing this to us? What did we ever do to you to deserve your malice?" Demyx begged the alien. The alien gave off a thinking pose before grinning down at her victim.

"Well it's simple my poor soldier." the alien said grinning sadistically. "You have mountain dew and 7-up in your vending machines but no one puts orange soda in them… I mean, really, who does that? Orange soda is so much better!" the alien ended in a huff.

Private Demyx merely stared at her flabbergasted.

"You mean… you killed so many people because of the fact that orange soda is rarely put in vending machines…?"

"I said because mountain dew and 7-up were put there _instead_ of orange soda. You humans don't listen! You know what? Just for that, you die!" the alien overlord yelled and shot Demyx with her laser gun.

"Ahhh!" Demyx exclaimed as the light on his chest went out. His last life was gone meaning he was out of the game.

"Yes! Victory is mine! Mwuhahahahahahahahahaha!!!!" Namine exclaimed in glee and did a victory dance. Axel and Demyx watched her wide-eyed.

"Nami-chan shouldn't be allowed to play this game again… she gets _way too_ laser happy." Axel solely nodded at that statement as his shocked expression was on the blonde cheering for her world domination on mankind.

Cue massive large, super sweat drop here.

* * *

"Meeting's adjourned. Thank you for your time." declared Sora as he bowed politely towards his audience. Each of the executives gave a slight bow back and everyone began filing out of the meeting room. Sora kept his expression calm and placid, but as soon as he heard the door shut behind him, he gave off a tired sigh and slowly felt his irritation returning.

The feeling of Namine being hit on disappeared, but he felt something akin to a premonition having to do with the blonde haired woman. Sora always seemed to have some kind of sixth sense with these things as all his other premonitions of something bad happening always occurred. The prospect of something bad having to do with Namine made the male wary.

For once, he didn't want to be right about his premonitions.

Going to the bathroom to cool off, he turned on the facet with cold water and splashed his face trying in vain to block out the last time he felt something bad was going to happen.

It was before Namine went missing that time. Sora didn't want to experience something like that ever again.

It was bad enough that he couldn't leave because of all the board meetings today to check up on her, but it was worse because he couldn't even call her due to his cell phone not being permitted in the conference rooms. And no doubt Namine turned hers off anyway. Most of the time she forgets to turn it on.

Rinsing his face a couple more times to clear his head, Sora dried his face and headed back into the conference room to pack up his suitcase and prepare to leave. The sooner the better in his opinion.

"Hello Sora." a voice greeted him when he entered making Sora stop dead in his tracks. He turned towards the other end of the table near the doorway to see the newcomer's face. Although he didn't really need to see his face to know who he was.

The man before him was older—perhaps in his late forties—with dark brown hair—that seemed to still have some spikes in it from his youth—and piercing ocean blue eyes.

Sora's eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Sora asked with suspicion. It was always like that. After all, they didn't really speak much and this was the business world. With past experiences with this man, Sora couldn't help but be cautious.

"Is that anyway to speak to your father, Sora?" the newcomer asked with disapproval in his eyes.

"With all due respect, _father_, but you never seemed to have acted like one in my view." Sora replied calmly, but the glare on his handsome features was enough to let anyone know he was anything but calm.

"I didn't come here to talk about the past, Sora." Mr. Niwaharu told his son.

"Really? Because all you and mom ever seem to be focused on is getting me to return to what was instead of what is now." Sora said with a raised eyebrow in skepticism.

"It's not like we've given up on that." Mr. Niwaharu told him. "What with you and that boy living in the same—"

"Roxas and I have nothing to do with your dispute with _Uncle_." Sora interrupted him coldly. "We've been through this before and I'll give the same answer I did last time—we're not _you_ and we will never be you and Uncle so deal with it."

Mr. Niwaharu only sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Despite the fact that he had not come here for that argument, he still was not pleased with his son about his decision made four years ago.

"Believe it or not Sora, I actually want to spare that discussion for today." Mr. Niwaharu began to the younger male. "I came here to talk to you about something else."

"Oh?" Sora questioned a bad feeling creeping up from the pit of his stomach. "I'm sure you could've waited when I would see you and mother at Christmas." he barely shadowed the spite in his tone at having being reminded of that stupid yearly dinner with his parents and the others' parents as well.

"I felt that I needed to speak to you privately." Mr. Niwaharu answered him briskly. Sora didn't say anything so the male then proceeded to pull out something from his business coat pocket and examined it closely.

"It seems you've found a special kitten to hold close, haven't you?"

It was then that Sora saw what his father was holding in his hand. It was a photo.

A photo of him and Namine.

It was sunny in the photo with both persons unaware of the camera or if there even was one. He remembered it now where exactly the photo setting was—it was in November when the others and himself had taken Namine out intent on reestablishing her wardrobe. However, Namine had distracted them by making them tour the local park in Uptown—because even if it was in Uptown, Namine still enjoyed nature—and demanded they take a walk since it was such a nice day.

The picture showed Namine conversing with him about something as he was listening attentively. A serene smile was on his face while hers had an easy-going grin. He remembered the others were there with them, but the person who took the photo only got him and Namine together.

But the bigger question was… who took the picture… and why?

"You look like sweethearts." his father's drawled out bringing him out of his shock while the other man observed the picture for himself. "I've never seen you this happy—especially if it was caused by a single woman…"

"When did you…?" Sora trailed off but his father had gotten the drift.

"I didn't take this photo nor did I know of the existence of this woman until this photo was given to me if that's what you're wondering." Mr. Niwaharu told his son with an emotionless tone.

"Then who—"

"That isn't important who provided me this photograph." his father said.

"It is important! I want to know which one of you sent a spy to watch us! That wasn't part of the agreement when we left! You have no authority to do that!" Sora exclaimed outraged finally losing his composure.

"Again, surprisingly it wasn't one of us that found your little kitten. They were just a simple messenger." Mr. Niwaharu told him calmly as if Sora wasn't yelling at him right now. His eyes then drifted back towards the picture, "But your kitten does seem to have a certain charm about her despite her background, doesn't she? Though I can't see why you're so enamored with such a lowly commoner, Namine, is it? Pretty name that is—"

"Don't talk about her like that!" Sora snared at him. "I don't care what sick game you and the others plan on doing, but leave her out of it! I don't even want you breathing the same air as her!"

"Well, that would be impossible since we will all be coming to your home to meet her. It defeats the purpose if you keep her out of our sight, doesn't it?"

At this, Sora stopped cold.

"You're… you're going to see her?"

"Of course. I want to meet this commoner who has attracted you to sleep around with. She must be amazing if you're keeping her around for so long."

The next thing he knew, Mr. Niwaharu was slammed against the wall with Sora holding his collar in a vice-like grip. His sapphire eyes blazing in fury.

"If you ever say anything like that about her again, I really will hurt you, _Father_." Sora threatened—no, _promised_. "I've never slept with her. I've never touched her like that. She laid down that law a long time ago. The others apply the same way." the male said in a cold tone. So cold that it didn't carry a single thread of emotion in it whatsoever.

"Really now?" Mr. Niwaharu questioned with not a trace of fear on him. His face was blank; stone-cold. "Then why is it that you're so defensive about her? Why is it that you're so happy with her more than anyone? What is it about her that keeps you coming back to her over and over again, Sora?"

Sora only glared at him refusing to take his father's taunts. His grip was firm on the older male and he bit back a growl in anger at even looking at him.

"Could it be that you've developed feelings for her? Have you fallen in love with her, Sora?" Still Sora didn't speak. "It is that way, isn't it? It sure seems that way in the photo as you look at her. Probably didn't even realize it, now did you?"

Again, Sora didn't say anything; nevertheless, he released Mr. Niwaharu and turned away from him.

"Get out." he hissed at the older man. "I don't know what you're planning, but you stay away from her, you hear?"

"That's not you to decide." Mr. Niwaharu said. Sora turned his head and glared at him. Spotting the photo, the male made a grab for it, but Mr. Niwaharu swiped it before he could. "I think I'll keep this photo by the way. Give a father a chance to look at his son smiling for once in a picture."

With that he turned away from Sora and began walking out of the room. Nonetheless, he stopped a foot away from the doorway, but he didn't turn around.

"About what you said earlier, Sora, I think that you and Roxas are more like me and your uncle more than you think." he gazed at the photo again—a sort of melancholy in his sapphire eyes unseen by his son, "This photograph is proof of that."

Once that was done, he left Sora there pondering his words, but not without saying something that would haunt the male for a long time.

"Like father like son."

* * *

"That was so much fun!" Demyx said as they walked through the mall aimlessly. "I never played anything like that, Axel! How did you find it?" he inquired the redhead. Axel simply shrugged.

"When we were at the food court I saw the sign and decided to get us tickets." Axel replied nonchalantly. On the other hand, Namine and Demyx tensed up a little when he mentioned the food court. They couldn't help it. It reminded them of their conversation while Axel was absent.

"Oh yeah, that makes sense I guess…" Namine muttered as she looked at the floor with her hands in her pockets. Unfortunately, Axel noticed her awkward tone. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Namine…?"

"Oh! Look at that! An ice cream shop! Why don't I get us some?" Demyx chimed in suddenly making Axel jump. Before he could say anything, Demyx had raced off towards the ice cream shop leaving him alone with Namine.

Demyx held himself from looking back at them. It was guilt and shame that compelled him not to do so. In a way, this was how he was apologizing to Axel for earlier. Even though Axel was unaware of what occurred, Demyx did.

He had thought horrible things about his friend. His good friend Axel. Because he was jealous of his relationship with Namine.

* * *

Namine didn't say anything as she looked around the mall. Anywhere but at Axel. For some reason, she felt anxious—something she never exactly experienced feeling with the mischievous redhead—but the earlier conversation with Demyx just kept replaying in her mind like a broken record.

Would something weird happen with Axel too? She didn't want to think about it.

"You know, if you do keep twisting your head around fast enough, you'll get whiplash." Axel's voice broke into her thoughts. Namine yelped and jumped a tiny bit causing the male's expression to show confusion.

"What's up with you? You going through withdraw on drugs or something that we didn't know about?" he teased making her glare at him.

"No! Of course not! Don't be stupid!" she responded with venom in her tone.

It was silent for a few seconds before Axel spoke again.

"So, Christmas is coming up…" he began. This made Namine turn her gaze to him.

"Yeah? So what?" she asked.

"Well," Axel ran a hand through his long spikes. "What do you want?" he questioned. Namine looked at him surprised.

"What? You're asking me?" she replied with bewilderment. Axel gave her a glare.

"Duh, there's no one else I'm talking to is there?" he said with a sarcastic tone.

"Why ask me?" Namine said staring straight ahead and not at Axel beside her.

"To get you something." Axel said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which in this case, she supposed it was since he asked her what she wanted for Christmas.

"You don't have to get me something, Axel." Namine said bluntly as she watched passersby with half-lidded eyes and a blank expression.

"Well I don't _have_ to get you something, but I _want_ to get you something." Axel said seriously. "I'm not kidding, Namine. I really want to get you something."

_Ba-dump Ba-dump Ba-dump_

_Dammit! Shut up with the heartbeats! _Namine screamed in her mind, _I have no idea what the hell's going on with everyone today! Is there a full moon affecting us or something? Even _I'm_ not left out of the weirdness! What, is there Anthrax being passed around in our drinking water? Urgh! _

"Surprise me." Namine drawled out bored.

"I don't want to surprise you. I wanna know what you want." Axel told her.

"Trust me; it will be more worthwhile if you surprise me. That's how it usually goes with gift giving." Namine replied as she gave him a tip of gift giving 101.

"So, I just surprise you then?" Axel asked.

"Sure, as long as it ain't a prank."

"Nah, I don't think I'll do that. Like you said, it will be more special if I just get you something and you don't know what it is. A prank would've ruined that." Axel smiled at her.

"Fine." Namine nodded curtly.

"Uh… I think this is the part where you say you'll surprise me too." Axel pointed out. Namine gave off a small smile at that.

"Oh? So this was all a ploy to get something from me, is it?"

"Not most of it, but yeah that too." Axel said to the blonde. "Of course, I just want to get you a present, but getting something in return is a bonus." the pyromanic explained.

"We'll see."

"You're supposed to say 'I'll surprise you too, Axel'."

"Shut up, Axel."

They both shared a laugh at that. The atmosphere felt easier to breathe in now.

"It's funny." Axel said suddenly. "I never wanted to get a present for someone before."

"Really? But don't you guys exchange presents or something? What about your parents?" Namine questioned.

"Nah, we've never embraced the prospect of exchanging presents since we could just buy anything we wanted ourselves." Axel said referring to him and her other bosses. "As for our parents… well, we don't really talk to them that much." this made Namine's eyes widen considerably.

"What? But you guys are rich and stuff! Why would your parents have problems with each other?" she asked.

"I didn't say that. Our parents are okay with each other I guess." Axel said. "It was us that they had problems with."

"How come?" for some reason, Namine felt as if a hazy fog was being lifted from her mind. She recalled all the signs of having a bad relationship with ones parents and that she had missed each and every one. Like the time Roxas had yelled at her over the phone when she mentioned him having plans with his family or the time that she had seen Sora's family photo turned down. The fact that they never even spoke about their families with her or any personal history was a huge sign.

And for someone who has her own problems with relationships with ones parents, she sure sucked at seeing it with other people.

Leon was another example of that.

Guilt began to well up inside her. Oh Jesus it was happening again. Would she make a mistake like she did with Leon? Of course she had her suspicions back then with Leon's home life, but she ignored it and didn't see it all the way. Sure it may have not seemed like a big deal to Leon, but it was a huge deal for her.

Her price for that mistake was almost Leon's life. Obviously it was a big deal.

"They were crappy parents. Plain and simple." Axel explained. "They wanted the image of what we were supposed to be, not what we were. Even if we were standing before them, they didn't notice us—only the image they desired to form us into. When they looked at us, they didn't _see_ us, you know?"

"They wanted to control us. Still do in a way. We're more of business propositions than children in their eyes." Axel told Namine who stayed silent the whole time. "If we're not up to their material, they throw us away like a scrap of meat. While that didn't happen to us—unlucky bastards we are—it did happen to Roxas's brother."

"Roxas has a brother?" the blonde said shocked.

"Yeah, twins. Ven was older though by a few minutes so he was originally the heir to the company instead of Roxas. But as they were growing up… Ventus… well, he was bright and good-looking, but unlike Roxas, he chose a lot earlier to break the chains that held him there." Axel said remembering the past. "Next thing you know, parents disown him. Want nothing to do with him because he refused to follow along with their terms. I guess like you, he didn't like taking bullshit, so he went without a fuss. In fact, I'd say he walked out on them with a smile on his face. He was maybe fourteen at the time. I hear he's happy now."

"What happened to him?"

"He works for an illustrating company. He was really good at art when he was a kid. Hey, maybe you'll meet him one day when you're writing a book or something." Axel said teasingly recalling her previous job as a writer and her passion of the arts.

"I doubt it." Namine stated.

"Maybe someday. Fate has a funny way of doing things."

"Yeah, whatever. Fate ain't my thing. Besides, we're talking about your parents and you guys. I'm happy for Ven and everything, but I would like to stay on the topic at hand."

"Right, sorry. Anyway, Roxas became the main focus since Ven left. All of us stayed under good graces with our parents despite our messed up and neglected state of minds. I'm not going to lie, some of us got a little loopy in the head if you get what I mean as we were growing up."

"I can testify to that." Namine muttered as she had witnessed multiple occurrences of their insanity and warped personalities.

"It wasn't until we were teens when we starting defying our parents—in secret of course, it didn't come out until Roxas and Sora were eighteen—and that was the turning point."

"Turning point?"

"When Sora contacted Roxas for the first time. Because of Riku, Sora was able to speak to Roxas—call it a rebellious move on their part I guess—and Roxas already knew us so we also met Riku and Sora and became friends—"

"Wait a second. Rewind. What do you mean about Sora contacting Roxas? What's so special about that?"

"Well, I would think it was special if my cousin whom I never knew about and never met contacted me one day and wanted to be my friend." Axel winked at the same time as Namine stood gaping.

"They're cousins? And they never met?" a befuddled Namine still gaped at him. Well, that would explain why they looked so much alike…

"Correction: they never knew about each other in the first place. Parents never told them"

"Why?"

"Not my story to tell, little lady." Axel simply replied.

"Ugh, fine. Continue."

"Yeah, anyway, the rest is history. We all became friends and kept it a secret so our parents couldn't steal it away from us. We all had similar problems so we got along and understood each other really well. We planned to move in together—as we found we could only trust each other—once Roxas and Sora were legal age to decide for themselves." Axel explained as if he was talking about the weather.

"And?"

"And that's how we got here today. I would have thought you'd fill in the holes yourself."

"Not that! You're leaving things out Axel! What about your parents? Didn't you say they're still trying to get control over you guys? How did you even get to this point with such parents like that?! This makes no sense!"

Axel just shook his head and gave her a mysterious smile.

"Like I said before, that story's for another time—or at least the rest of it anyway." Axel replied to her rant. "One day, when the others are there, we'll all fill in the holes for you, kay?" Namine reluctantly nodded as now she was a little angry at _still_ being kept out of the loop. "By the way, you won't tell the guys I told you all this, right? I told you this of my own accord—my story—but I'm not sure how they would feel about me babbling about all of us to you when they weren't ready to."

Namine sighed and nodded again. In her heart, she felt extremely guilty for not realizing all of this herself. What an idiot she was! A fool! She has amazing intelligence and this is what she has to show for it. Truly pathetic on her part.

Axel noticed that Namine wasn't really into it so he approached her and bonked her head gently. This got Namine's attention.

"Hey, don't worry about it. The fact that you just been you for the whole time we met you was good enough for us. We didn't want to concentrate on the past anyway. You were a very good distraction." Axel confessed.

"You didn't want pity." Namine stated rather than asked. "You didn't want people to feel sorry for you and tell you they understand when in reality they didn't. When they didn't talk about it, it was easier to forget it, but when they did talk about it, it makes it worse because it's a constant reminder of what you're trying to forget."

"What are you talking about, Namine?" Axel asked her.

"Nothing." Namine said quickly. Dammit; she was describing _her_ feelings about when her mother left rather than theirs.

And as Axel said, _that _story is for another time.

Or what Namine would like to say: that story is for _never_. She didn't want pity from them.

"What I'm saying is Namine, you've made happy memories with us to counter the bad ones with our parents. Just like the times we all spent together before we met you, the time with you makes us happy. You're our friend, Namine."

"_No, Namine, you're wrong." _

"_We're not your bosses, Nami-chan." _

"_We're your friends." _

"_Yeah, and friends help each other out, you know." _

"_And they spend time together making memories." _

Memories. Precious memories to hold onto. That's what friends provided. Friends gave you memories to visit in the night and hold close to your heart.

"Hey guys! I got the ice cream!" Demyx cheered as he returned to them. He handed each one their respected ice cream at the same time as complaining about the long line. He was in the middle of talking when he stopped abruptly making the other two look at him.

"What's up?" Axel asked.

"A photo booth! Let's take silly photos!" Demyx said excitedly and pulled them towards it faster than you can say "photo"

"Crap. My ice cream." Axel murmured as they all piled in resulted in Axel's ice cream's downfall.

"Forget about it. I'll get you a new one later! Now we take photos with expressions to give people nightmares with!" Demyx said happily.

And that's what they did. They took silly photos, scary photos, regular photos, disoriented photos, etc. They were all goof balls and it felt good to be goof balls.

After they were finished, they decided on which way to divide the photos. Or they would have if Namine hadn't requested something.

"Can I have them?" she asked. She was smiling the whole time as she did so. "I'll give them back. I promise, but I really need them." she said.

Axel and Demyx looked at each other confused before giving her the photos. Namine, still smiling, then bid them a farewell as she prepared to leave the mall and head home.

"Oh, and Axel!" she called out to the pyro. "I'll surprise you too!" and then she was gone.

"What did she mean by that?" Demyx asked Axel. Axel only shrugged with a smile on his face.

"Dunno. Let's head home, okay?"

"Yeah"

"You still owe me an ice cream."

"I'll make you a giant sundae when we get back: Demyx's super special banana split extraordinaire!"

* * *

Namine thanked the clerk in the small store and exited onto the sidewalk satisfied with her purchase. With a pleased smile, she began her trek home as it was almost nine in the evening.

Take that Tifa. Looks like she won't be banning orange soda from Namine any time soon.

* * *

Riku stared worriedly at the closed door of his best friend's bedroom. Sora hadn't said a word since he arrived home. In fact, he completely ignored all of them and went straight to his room locking himself in there. On the other hand, if Sora wanted to talk about his problem, he would've confined in Riku already. This showed that whatever Sora was dealing with, he had to deal with it himself.

And Riku still hadn't told him about their parents yet. What real bad timing for his cheerful best friend to run into a problem.

_I'll tell him tomorrow if he's in a better mood, _Riku decided. Just not now. He didn't think something intense as this should be shared with Sora in his brooding state. With that concluded, Riku left his spot in front of Sora's bedroom intent on informing Axel and Demyx about the news that he and Roxas had to share.

Bad news that they had to share.

As Sora watched his best friend's shadow go away along with the sound of his footsteps, he sat in the darkness of his room feeling relief that Riku wasn't going to push him into talking. It wasn't like he couldn't approach Riku about the matter, but…

But Sora just didn't know what to say. There wasn't anything _to say_.

Sitting against the wall with his knees tucked under his chin, Sora buried his face in his arms and bit his lip to the point of it almost bleeding.

He didn't know what to think anymore.

* * *

**Karin: Kay, there's the next chapter. Gasp! So the plot thickens and things are starting to come out! (wipes forehead) Good thing Namine didn't get a giant laser, right? We're talking about world domination here people! **

**So anyway, strap your seatbelts folks because the next two chapters are full of Namora and Namiku goodness—meaning they both get their own chapters so no one gets confused okay?**

**Axel: Alright, votes from last chapter for the popularity contest are as follows: **

Riku: 3 Votes  
Leon: 2 Votes  
Roxas: 2 Votes  
Namine: 2 Votes

**Sora: How is Riku winning? **

**Demyx: Why am I not on the polls? **

**Roxas: Sheesh, you know they can re-vote again this chapter for different people if they want. Remember, people only four votes per reviewer. **

**Riku: I am honored that you all would bestow upon me the highest votes so far. **

**Axel, Demyx, Sora, and Roxas: Don't vote for Riku! Reviews are much appreciated, but please don't vote for Riku! **

**Karin: I sense a mutinity going on**

**Riku: I sense morons disturbing the balance of the force**

**See ya Next time! **


	19. Namine Narumi: The Savior

**Karin: Hey everyone! Did ya miss me? **

**Roxas, Sora, Riku, Axel, Demyx: No**

**Karin: I didn't ask you. I asked the readers. **

**Riku: Whatever you say. **

**Karin: Ahem, anyway, here's the next installment for Love at First Write! I'm sure you all are very excited to see what happens next, no? **

**Sora: It was very climatic after all. **

**Karin: (nods) Yeah. (coughs) Moving on, I would like to make a special dedication for this chapter. She's been very patient with me even though she was very excited for this chapter to come—she knew about the Sormine chapter for a long time now and she's been rather excited to see it—and such a great supporter that I needed to give her a special thanks. Thank you so much **Sapphira-hime** for not rushing me at all for this long-awaited chapter. She's a great writer folks so if you like Sora/Namine, check out her story **Scarlet Temperament**. I promise you won't be disappointed. I think it's even better than this story (laughs) **

**So Sapphire-hime, this chapter is dedicated to you. **

**Sora, Riku, Demyx, Axel, Roxas: We hope you enjoy the chapter everyone. **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Nuff said.

**Replies to Reviews from Chapter 17: **

**Angel Aliera- **I do plan to do a sequel after this one since there are many things that weren't covered in this one so far. I'll think about the poll because I can't reveal too much to you. Gah! I'm sorry for leaving you with so many questions!

**sAppHiRa-hiMe- **I'm so happy I could make your day turn around simply by updating. It makes me feel good to know that this story is well-liked. I'm glad that you liked the separate POVs. Yes, Axel and Demyx are so lucky to spend time with Nami-chan, no? (laughs) Hmm, you'll find out what happened between their parents soon. Can't tell you though—spoilers! I'm sorry I made you sad though because of Sora, but he'll get out of his stump! What kind of author would I be if I kept Sora all angsty? I'm not that cruel… or am I? Anyway, the Namiku chapter is after this one—this is all Sormine for this chappie!

**Mooncry- **I'm sure you just became Namine's favorite person with what you said in your review. (Roxas, Sora, Demyx, Riku, Axel: Darnit…) XD (Namine: Yay for orange soda! It's about time someone agreed with me about Squally. That insensitive prick.)

**Midnight Raining Down- **Awww, thank you so much for the praises. I'm glad to see you like this story so much. I'm touched that this story is able to move you so well—don't worry; I get WAY into things too. Sometimes I cry when it's really sad and I jump up and down when it's really happy—as for some things you said in your review about the upcoming events… you'll just have to keep reading to find out, no? (laughs) Sora is very happy to see he has a fan (Sora: Thank you so much, Midnight-san). Yes, Orange Soda is so awesome! Maybe Namine should start a fan club for it or something—that would be very hilarious. And you do not sound like a dork—I really appreciated your words. And I didn't mind the lengthy review—they're fun to read—but as long as people review at all, that makes me very happy even if it only says "awesome" or "I love it"—it's the thought that counts. I look forward to reading more of your reviews.

**GummehBears- **Well, your favor has been accomplished. I hope you liked the new update for Family Complex like you liked the chapter for this story.

**xXKingdomxXHeartsxXGirl- **Another Sora fan I see—he's been getting those a lot lately it's making the others jealous. (laughs) Namine's a lot like you? Coolness! I had those experiences too with other stories. It always makes me go "Sweet!". By the way, Namine is very happy to find that there are orange soda fans out there—she might make a fan club for orange soda. (laughs)

**Craxuan- **Hearing praise coming from such a critical reader makes me feel very honored. I know what you mean when it's hard to find such good stories these days. I really appreciated you taking time out of your schedule to review my story—I took your advice on the rating thing as well. You do have a point with the assumption of an M rated fanfic—You really think it's educational and inspiring? (blushes) thank you so much. It's good to know that because this is the story I put the most effort in. Also, your advice on watching my steps carefully is well considered and esteemed. I realize that since this is such a complicated story, I have to watch myself and plan. There will, however, be certain things not covered in this story, but in the sequel—Chapter 13 is a prime example of that. I'm happy to see you like this story so much and that I hope you will continue reading. Again, thank you so much for the review. A question though: who's the guy you want to vote for? Just curious.

**Aswaxsora**- Yay! Cookie! (eats the cookie and hugs Aswa-chan back) Thank you so much. Axel and Demyx were happy to read your compliments. Namine was ecstatic to see you are a fellow orange soda fan.

**Lebrezie- **Four votes _per chapter _Lebre-chan. Like if you vote for this chapter, you get four votes again to vote with the next chapter. It renews itself every chapter. The Namiku chapter will be after this one, but I'm excited to write it. You read for fluff you say? Fluff is cool. It makes me go "Awww". Hmm, your sister wants to go cry in a ditch… that is odd. I hope she feels better though. Yes, let's hope that Namine will bring Sora out of his funk! And hopefully with non-violent methods. (sweat drops) …You know, I actually can picture Demyx doing something like that. (laughs)

**Metallicababy55- **Thank you. Glad to see you like the story.

**.Nana Potato.- **You really think I have talent? Thank you very much for the praise on my writing style. I'm happy to see you like it so much. Well, even if you didn't carry it out, I was excited to see that you wanted to write something Nami-centric. I really wish there were more Nami-centric fics out there. I can never find any. Anyway—NANA-CHAN! (glomps back) I love you! Thank you for thinking I'm awesome! You're awesome too! Glad you and your brother both laughed at the laser scene. I got my friend to read it too and she was cracking up—that is what got her to read the story in the first place. She likes reading my fanfictions. Can't wait to hear from you again.

**Redxandkemicalx- **Thanks. Happy to see you are enjoying yourself so far.

**Butterflylavender- **the fact that you reviewed is great enough—thank you. Glad you LOL'd with the Harry Potter movie joke. Hope you like the rest of the story and thanks for reviewing for both the 16th chapter and the 18th. It would be nice to hear from you again in future chapters.

**Animelover09- **One whole day? Wow, talk about a dedicated reader. Thanks. I will be sure to consult you on evil ideas if I run out. (joins in evil laughter)

**Nequam-tenshi- **Of course, how could I be so silly? A cute Namine is a good Namine. lol XD It's somewhat based off of Ouran, yes.

**Chibixbabe- **Two days non-stop? I hope your eyes don't hurt from all that reading, or your brain. But I'm very happy that you like my story so much. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

_Recap: _

_As Sora watched his best friend's shadow go away along with the sound of his footsteps, he sat in the darkness of his room feeling relief that Riku wasn't going to push him into talking. It wasn't like he couldn't approach Riku about the matter, but…_

_But Sora just didn't know what to say. There wasn't anything __to say__._

_Sitting against the wall with his knees tucked under his chin, Sora buried his face in his arms and bit his lip to the point of it almost bleeding._

_He didn't know what to think anymore._

_End of Recap: _

* * *

_When I was a kid, I would have this strange dream where I packed my things in only a small backpack and snuck out of the house at night. No one woke up as I walked away from the giant mansion that was more of a house than a home. Not my parents. Not the staff. No one noticed as a tiny child walked into the night._

_I'd go to the local train station. I had my ticket all and ready. All I had to do was sit on the bench and wait for it to come. Sitting and Waiting. It felt like an eternity on that bench. Like I was frozen in time as I watched all the other people walk by towards their trains. I was no one special in their minds. Not one of them noticed me. _

_Trains would come and go, but none of them were mine. Slowly all the people at the train station got onto their trains and left, leaving me alone on that wooden bench. Sitting and Waiting. _

_It would be a long time before I heard the sound of a train coming. My train. The sound always made me perk up as I saw it draw nearer until it came to a stop right in front of me. _

_The door opened leading inside parallel to where I sat and I could hear someone calling out beckoning me to come on. Their hand was outstretched and I could feel rather than see their warm smile as the white light from the train blinded me from seeing them. _

_And as I reached my hand out to take the stranger's, so close that I can feel the heat coming off of their fingertips, I'd wake up. _

_And the dream was gone… _

* * *

**Namine Narumi—The Savior**

**-**

**-**

**-**

Sora walked down the stairs into the kitchen finding it surprisingly quiet for it being 10AM. What with his housemates, you would be confused too if it was quiet when usually it was so lively.

But then again, even the house seemed dead. Like there was something still in the atmosphere. Sora never liked this feeling. It reminded him too much of his home life before moving in with the others. He was sure they all hated the same atmosphere.

Grabbing a mug, he started to make himself some coffee. Namine had gotten fed up with them being completely helpless and dependable on her cooking so she tried to teach them some things. However, they only went as far as coffee since none of them were willing to learn because then Namine would stop cooking for them.

Once his coffee was prepared, Sora lifted the mug to his lips while tired sapphire eyes searched the kitchen. His eyes caught a note on the island and he placed his mug down on the counter to retrieve it. Picking it up, his eyes swept over the contents with a concentrated gaze.

_Sora, _

_We all had some business to attend to with our companies and maybe Roxas will try to dissuade his father into coming as well as convincing him to dissuade the others' parents as well. I'll be the latest coming home since I had plans meeting with my mother—I'll send her your regards. _

_Axel and Demyx will also be late—apparently something about buying booby traps to set up at the entrance at our "reunion dinner"…_

Sora couldn't help but notice that the scrawl right there was strained, as if it was sickening to even write the words out.

_By the way, Namine won't be coming either—told her not to come since none of us would be here and I don't think she'd appreciate the atmosphere of the house at the moment—_

So Riku noticed it too. Well, he supposed he shouldn't be shocked.

_So it's just you for the day. Order something or fix up some of those instant ramen noodles Namine seems to be so fond of—after all, she did manage to teach us how to boil water without blowing the house up—and just relax. I'll try to be home as soon as I can. My cell's on for emergencies… but no calling just because you _felt_ like it… lord knows how obnoxious Demyx has taught you to be when you want to annoy someone for your own amusement, you sadist. _

Sora rolled his eyes at that. He was not a sadist… most of the time… maybe it's just with Riku he's a sadist or something…

_Stop your eye-rolling and I'll see you tonight. _

_-Riku_

_PS- I called into your company and informed them already that you won't be coming in. _

Placing down the note back on the island, the male took another sip out of his mug. So he had the day off… there's nothing really that occurred to Sora that he desperately wanted to do. He could've gone back to bed but seeing as he drunk some coffee, he knew that was impossible. Read one of his occult novels? He didn't have the focus for that at the moment and he would probably get a headache for straining his eyes too much in his current state. Watch a movie? Nah.

Sora should've known that going through any of these suggestions would be fruitless to carry out anyhow. What with the house being like this—this graveyard of decay, he couldn't see himself trying to suppress his already negative overflow of emotions here.

The atmosphere was suffocating. It felt like everything was coming to crash down on him again. The memories from yesterday and the past twenty-two years of his life flashed through his brain like some cheap movieplex.

_Get out! Need to get out of here! _his mind and body screamed. A feeling of melancholy washed over him when a picture of a five-year-old spiky brown haired boy screamed this phrase in the own recesses of the black abyss known as his mind.

Placing the mug in the sink hastily—not even bothering to clean or dump it completely—the brown haired male raced to the coat closet grabbing a light brown jacket before barely putting on his sneakers to burst out the door, thoughts inconsistent and feelings overwhelming him.

But even running out of the house wouldn't allow him to escape the road of memories that haunted the deep recesses of his mind.

And it began with the day his illusion was shattered and reality settled in…

* * *

_Flashback _(Seventeen years ago)

_Five-year-old Sora Niwaharu jumped out of the car faster than one could say "Stop!". He was very happy to be rid of school for the day. It was so boring! And you stayed inside most of the day while it was sunny out to do work! Plus the grownups were mean when he slacked off. That was no fun in Sora's book. Why would his parents make him go to some place like that anyway? _

_His nanny called for him, but the young boy ignored her. He was in a hurry to show his parents his drawing he did in school. Sure they didn't really look at those sorts of things, but Sora was sure they would admire what he drew. It took him a long time to make it; however, it was worth it to see his parents smiling faces and congrats on a job well done. They were always so busy—he was positive this would cheer them up. _

_Slamming the front doors open, the blue-eyed child commenced his search for his parents. The house was vast, but he was sure they were somewhere. After all, they lived here too; it's not like he's the only one in the mansion even though most of the time it feels that way. _

_It wasn't long before he found his parents, but Sora slowed down to quiet steps when he heard their voices on the other side of the closed doors. They weren't talking—they were shouting. _

"_Still thinking about that whore I see! When are you going to get it through your thick skull that she's not your wife?!" _

"_As if you act like a wife! You're more interested in material things than being a wife!"_

_At these words, Sora furrowed his brow as he stood behind the door. What were his mother and father talking about? He never heard them mention any of this information. Parents are supposed to love each other—from the sounds of it, his parents are screaming the exact opposite. _

"_How dare you! I gave you a son you ungrateful bastard! I gave you a godforsaken son and this is how you repay me—by thinking about some bitch who's never coming back?!" _

"_You make it sound like you gave me god's greatest gift! I could've gotten a kid from anyone! What makes you so special?!" _

_The boy's heart froze like ice in his chest. What was his father saying?! Did that mean… that he didn't want Sora…? That Sora was merely an obligation than someone to cherish? _

SLAP!!

_Sora clutched the drawing to his chest with shaking hands. His blue eyes were wide and fearful. His heart pounded against his rib cage in a deafening sound. Once he heard the noise of skin connecting to cheek, he forgot all about his fear and pushed the doors open. _

"_Stop fighting!" he cried to his parents. His eyes were pleading and scared—he couldn't take anymore of their shouts. "Why are you fighting?" he asked. _

_Both elder Niwaharus turned to the direction of their son. His father with a red, stinging cheek and his mother with vengeful, angry eyes. Now that anger appeared to be directed at him. Mrs. Niwaharu glared at her child as if everything was his fault and that he was to blame for her predicament. _

"_Why aren't you with the nanny?" she demanded sharply to the boy. "You disobedient boy! You'd think that you would gain some common sense to listen to your elders!" _

"_I-I-I w-was—"Sora began stammering as the woman before him screamed at him. All of this was devastating the child. It felt like a nightmare. A terrifying nightmare… _

"_I'm so sorry, Mistress! I tried to stop him." The nanny said making her appearance. Mrs. Niwaharu's brown eyes shifted to the young woman. _

"_And you! Letting him run amuck! I should fire you, you twit!" Sora's mother snarled at the nanny making the poor woman cringe. _

…_Or rather a dream that was being crushed and he was forced to wake up to face reality…_

_The boy ran up to his mother despite her outrage and scorn. Clutching her skirt with shaking hands, Sora looked up at her with his teary, ocean blue eyes. _

_Eyes that belonged to his father… _

_Mrs. Niwaharu bit her lip and shoved the boy away in disgust. Sora landed on the floor hard with a painful yelp uttering from his lips. Meanwhile, Mr. Niwaharu picked up the fallen drawing that Sora dropped when he went to his mother in his fit of desperation. _

_Adult blue eyes examined the drawing before turning his eyes to his son. _

"_That's enough, Sora." Mr. Niwaharu told him sternly and coldly. "You should be concentrating on your studies. This behavior will not be tolerated in the future, is that clear?" he told the five-year-old. Taking the drawing in his hands, he ripped the picture in two, letting it fall down to the floor as if it was a measly piece of trash. _

_Sora watched as the pieces fell to the floor as if in slow motion. The once happy faces of his parents and himself were now face down on the floor. It was shredded—just like his ignorant heart. _

"_Once you take him to his room, come back here and clean this up." Mr. Niwaharu told the nanny who nodded hastily and picked up a silent Sora who was in a stupor. _

_That was the beginning where the bitter ice began to incase his heart…_

* * *

_End of Flashback _(Present Time)

Walking along the sidewalk, twenty-two-year-old Sora Niwaharu solemnly gazed at his surroundings, but didn't really see them. His mind was on other things.

Things didn't get better from there, he recalled bitterly. Although his parents acted like nothing happened, not a thing could change that it _did_ happen. His mother was her usual pushy self, and his father was stoic as always.

But that one encounter had made Sora realize his parents' lack of actual parenting. That normal parents didn't treat their child as if he was simply someone they lived with. Like he was a stranger or a puppet for them to control and mold into what they wanted him to be.

After that incident, he saw how much his mother was absorbed with being in the limelight and coolly telling others—along with subtlety bragging—of her wealth and status in society. He found later in his childhood that she was slightly vain; more concerned about appearances than her husband and child.

His father on the other hand barely even looked at him—much less spoke a word to him. The brunette remembered all the times where his father would leave on a business trip and Sora wouldn't even notice when he left or when he returned.

Definitely not normal parenting. He was sure it wasn't parenting to begin with.

It did not take long for him to realize that he, Sora, was growing up without the love of not just one parent, but both of them. He was just for show in a sense. A trophy. His parents showed him off but never went beyond that. Never asked him what he wanted to do in his life; what dreams he had; how was school; if he had any friends. Never comforted him when he was hurt or upset. Never tried to make him feel better.

Never. He couldn't recollect a time when either of his parents had held him at all; or even gave him a real smile. His mother's sickly sweet smiles to her associates were the only smiles he's seen. Hell, his father never smiled to begin with.

_Now it's not all bad, _a voice in Sora's head reprimanded him, _you met Riku when you were six and he was someone who you could go to. _

_But it wasn't the same. _Sora protested. While Riku was his friend, they never really talked about their home life issues. Of course they both knew they had them, but they just didn't see the point in sharing them. What could two kids do after all? They couldn't change what was happening in their lives. Even when the others joined their group, they never went into grand depth of their childhoods. There were some things shared, but they didn't pour their hearts out (What do you expect? They're men. Stereotypically they did not share that much info).

In truth, a friend's comfort would not compare to that of a parent's. Riku and Sora, when they were children, hung out and became friends to escape the harsh reality the world has settled on them. It was a mutual agreement that started their friendship—though over time they did become actual friends.

_Riku would probably roll his eyes if I brought up our little pact when we were kids. _Sora thought with a tiny smile. Nevertheless, his previous thoughts and memories began to creep up on him.

* * *

_Flashback _(Sixteen years ago)

"_Ah, Young Master—a job well done if I do say so myself." A man in his early thirties told a boy of six years. Cobalt eyes looked up from his finished math sheet to look at the man in a bored manner. _

"_Of course—they're incredibly easy. Are you sure this is advanced work? People must be really dumb then." the spiky haired brunette stated bluntly making the man sweat drop. _

"_Well, you are very smart… although I did think this would provide you a challenge, it seems you outsmarted me again, Young Master." The tutor told the child smiling while in the back of his mind he sneered at the snarky brat. _

"_And another thing, my name's Sora. Not 'Young Master'. Get it right already." Sora reminded the man while flipping through the math textbook in search of something more challenging. Once he found a page he deemed worthy, the six-year-old began working diligently. _

_The tutor couldn't help but have his eye twitch while looking down at his student. Due to the boy's prodigious intelligence, he was pulled out of school to undergo home schooling to nurture his high intelligence properly. His parents, the Niwaharus, viewed the boy's attendance to school was a waste of time. _

"Why squander his brain when he could be doing problems that are up to par with his mind level?"_ Mrs. Niwaharu's words drifted into the tutor's brain. He pictured her look of superiority at the same time as looking upon his person. Her brown eyes were like a frozen tundra. _

"_Well you are the heir to the Niwaharu cooperation." the tutor told the boy while internally banging his head on a wall. "Being such an important figure in society, people should refer to you as such." _

_Sora's pencil suddenly stopped moving on the paper as his bangs shadowed his eyes. The tutor didn't seem to notice his reaction for he resumed his explanation. _

"_Your parents must have someone who is well known in the social circle. Just 'Sora' is not enough to make a name for yourself in this world. In the future, the world will know you as 'Sora Niwaharu'—never just 'Sora'. Might as well start that preparation now, right?" _

_The pencil was tightened before it snapped completely in the child's hand. The unexpected and sudden sound gained the tutor's attention. Turning towards the brunette, the man saw the remnants of what was once a Number Two Pencil. _

"_Wha—" _

"_Shut up." Sora's voice cut him off. The boy's head turned towards the older male with cold, artic ocean blue eyes. Those menacing eyes did not belong on a child, the older male thought as he shuddered internally. "Instead of trying to suck up to me, you should put better use for yourself and leave." he growled at the tutor. _

"_Now see here—"the man started to say. Nonetheless, the youthful prodigy wasn't finished. _

"_What? Is your brain so small that you can't understand that I don't want you here?" Sora growled at the older man. That seemed to have broken the irritation from the dam and the older man grabbed Sora's shirt collar roughly, lifting him a bit. _

"_Listen here you brat—" Sadly the tutor wouldn't get to express how much he disliked the boy for the door to the room they were occupying opened and a maid gazed upon them with a flabbergasted expression on her features. _

"_What in the world is going on here?!" she exclaimed in alarm. The tutor switched his gaze between the maid and where he and the brunette were realizing that to any sane person, this would be taken the wrong way. _

"_I beg your pardon, madam, but this boy needs to learn some manners!" the tutor growled still not releasing his charge. Sora stayed silent until the tutor said that. His eyes became dewy and he looked at the maid pleadingly. _

"_All I did was make a mistake on a problem I was doing; so, he called me stupid—I yelled back at him." Sora explained with a sniffle. All traces of the once snarky boy were now gone with a scared six-year-old in place. The tutor's mouth dropped in absolute shock. The brunette then turned to the maid with watery blue eyes, "Am I going to be punished? He said I was because I yelled at him for calling me stupid." _

_Seeing the distressed child, the maid's maternal instincts went off and she stomped over to the tutor and kicked his shin. The tutor yelped, letting go of Sora, and held his shin while hopping on one foot. _

"_How dare you treat a child that way! Why I have never seen such injustice!" the maid yelled at the man. He yelped in agony when the maid pinched his ear and began to drag him out of the room. "When the Master and Mistress hear about this—mark my words, they will—you'll never work in this town again!" _

"_But—But h-he—wait—"the tutor spluttered out nonsense in an effort to get his point across despite his disoriented mind. The maid's back was turned and the man looked behind him at the young Niwaharu. His spluttering became more incoherent when he beheld the sight of the young boy. _

_Gone was the tears and the dewy eyes and what was in place was a boy with an evil smirk on his face waving goodbye—and good riddance—to his former tutor. _

_That manipulative demon! _

* * *

_End of Flashback _(Present Day)

A cool breeze whizzed by, but the brunette didn't pay it any mind. Hands in his jacket pockets, blue eyes observed his surroundings blankly. His stomach then gave off a growl bringing him out of his reverie. With a sigh, Sora then proceeded to locate some kind of eating establishment.

Meanwhile, his mind drifted back to that incident with his tutor. When he looks back on it now, Sora supposed that he was kind of harsh—massively is more like it—but then again, the tutor didn't really like him all that much either.

He wondered—a complete and spontaneous thought, mind you—what his former tutor was doing right now. What had happened to him after Sora saw him being dragged out of that room when he was six? Did he really need that job to get money to make his living? Did he perhaps have a family to feed? It's funny how Sora never gave these possibilities much thought until now. To him, that man was an annoying moron in his childhood. He could be replaced no problem. Why would he want someone around who he didn't like?

But now as an adult and beginning to see the world isn't all it's cracked up to be, Sora couldn't help but ponder. He couldn't help but think of the "what ifs". Like what if he had at least tried to connect with his old tutor? Or what if he had told the truth instead of lying about what had happened pre-arrival of the maid? The male was sure the results wouldn't have been as satisfying to his six-year-old mindset, but he wasn't six anymore—he was an adult, and he was wiser than he once was.

_Being an adult wasn't what had made you wiser though, _his brain whispered_, being older isn't what made you realize that you are selfish and that there were others much worse off than you. _She_ was the one to make you see that you were privileged unlike the tons of people in this world—people like her. _

Namine made him care. Namine made him see outside his bubble into the real world—both the goods and the bads. She showed him the ups and downs of a different lifestyle and how to take the world with open arms despite its imperfections. She made him see life and enjoy the simple things.

She invoked feelings in him that he never dreamed he would find himself having. Concern for strangers. Compassion for his peers—both close and distant. Awe at the sights of simple beauty around him. Believing in possibilities he never gave even a first thought to before.

Little by little she cracked the mask he put on. The manipulative facade that could fool almost anyone in his childhood—with the exception of Riku at times—had no effect on her, and embraced the person he was underneath it all without even trying to coax it out from the shadows in his heart.

"_Like father like son." _

_No! I'm not like you! I've changed! _Sora shook his head to rid of his father's words. He wasn't the same person anymore. If his father thought he and Sora were alike now, he desperately needed a wake up call. Maybe in the form of icy waters a hundred feet below a bridge…

A slight clanging sound roused him from the musings in his head to search for the reverberation. It seemed, with all his thinking, he aimlessly wandered out of Uptown and into a modern district, he noticed. The sound he heard before were the chains of the swings moved by the chilly wind in a park across the street. Due to the cold air of December, no children were playing or laughing joyously from the fun a park can provide—and even if they were, it was a school day so there still wouldn't be kids at this time of day.

The wind blew again and for a moment as the swings swayed back and forth, Sora could testify he heard childish laughter. For a second, he saw two transparent blurs of children swinging before it vanished and he was once again staring at an empty park across the street.

A feeling of nostalgia washed over him. That park seemed familiar. In fact, his surroundings in general seemed familiar. As if they were an old name at the tip of his tongue. He's seen this place. He's seen this park.

He's seen two children playing here.

* * *

_Flashback _(Fifteen years ago)

"_Oh my, Jeslyn dear—your son is absolutely charming!" a woman gushed as Mrs. Niwaharu and her son stood together in a crowd of people—lots holding glasses of wine and all were dressed nicely. _

_Jeslyn Cashlin Niwaharu gave a smile and placed a hand on her silent, stoic faced seven-year-old. Her brown eyes sparkled as she basked in the attention. Appearances were important after all. _

"_Yes, he's also very smart. We pulled him out of school about a year ago to home school him with only the best tutors. He's coming along well and he never makes a fuss. He's the perfect child. His mother couldn't be even more proud of him." Jeslyn smiles brightly talking as if Sora wasn't even there. Like he wasn't right beside her. _

_His mother… she says it like someone else is his mother and not her. _

"_So is he going to be learning the basics of your husband's company soon?" a man asked. "I've heard of him from others and they tell me he's quite the prodigy." the man said to Mrs. Niwaharu. Again, Sora was more of a phantom at these parties than anything. Why did he even have to be there if he was just going to be ignored? _

"To keep up appearances, of course. Don't be silly, Sora." _his mother would say. _

"_Certainly. He's very excited to learn the ropes from my husband." Jeslyn replied still with that sickening smile on her face. _

No I'm not! _Sora's mind cried. _I don't want anything to do with that company! I don't want to be here either!

_Nevertheless, these thoughts were locked in his head never gaining the sweet release they so greatly wanted. He by no means got the satisfaction of pouring out his bottled emotions. They would fall on deaf ears anyway. If he ever were to do something like that—public or private—his parents would ignore it and tell him to stop being childish. He was seven for crying out loud! _

"_You're so lucky, Jeslyn." another woman said to the brunette female. "I wish my child was like Sora. He always whines that I'm not paying enough attention to him and tells me he's going to be a musician when he gets older. A musician? Isn't that the dumbest thing you've ever heard?" the woman laughed out, her aqua-sea-foam eyes sparkled at the absurdness of her son. Jeslyn snorted. _

"_No wonder you don't bring him to social events. He needs to get his head out of the clouds and into the books. I bet he's not even smart to begin with. Saying something like that proves it." Jeslyn told the other mother. _

"_Yes, he's very average. Nothing's special about him." the aqua-sea-foam eyed woman said shrugging. "That's why I envy you. You have the model child who's smart, well-behaved, and obviously he'll be popular with the ladies on top of that when he's older." _

_Their constant chatter was suffocating him. Sora felt as if he was in a room without any doors, windows, or light. He felt closed in a box. Cramped and stuffy. _

_He needed to get away. Far away from these people who shut him in there. _

_Jeslyn's hand had long dropped from his shoulder and he slipped away while the adults continued their chatting. His mother, if she noticed his disappearance at all, would scold him later for doing this, but at this point, he didn't care. _

_Maneuvering through the throngs of people had not been a problem for a seven-year-old. They were too absorbed in their own worlds to notice a child lurking about, which was dandy for him. It only took a few minutes before Sora reached cream white colored doors leading from the ballroom of the building to one of the many darkened hallways. _

_Shutting the doors behind him, Sora was engulfed in the silence the enormous hallway provided. Slowly his ocean-blue eyes adjusted to the darkness and he started to walk in an aimless direction away from the ballroom. _

_His brain seemed to be on autopilot for Sora didn't go to any exact destination. He just walked without any thoughts or muses. The murky walls in his mind were silent as the dark hallway he was residing in. _

_However, he came to a stop in front of a door. It wasn't eye-catching nor was there anything special about it, but something inside him told him to stop here. To go inside. Lifting a hand, he opened the door revealing a lightless office. Again, nothing special about it, but he still went in anyway. _

_The boy closed the door behind him and walked forward into the room. The only light came from the opposite windowed wall. The night sky cast a bluish glow on the room and on himself. It was his only companion in his solitude. _

_The suffocating feeling from before suddenly began to creep up in the back of his head. The suffocation soon turned to heat, and the heat soon turned to choking fire. _

_Hastily the young boy began to unbutton his black suit jacket and threw it away. Next went his tie and his dress shoes. He rolled the sleeves of his white dress shirt up to his elbows and his black dress pants up to his knees. Yet the heat still stayed. _

_Azure eyes caught sight of the windows and he raced towards them like a man racing to water in the middle of the desert. The young boy unlocked one of the windows and pushed it open—cold December air rushed in not a second after. _

_Goosebumps immediately appeared on his skin and his body started to shiver, but he didn't care. The heat was gone. The suffocation was gone both mentally and physically. _

_He stood there for about a minute not doing anything. What was there to do now? Go back? No, he didn't want to do that. But he couldn't stay here either, Sora reasoned with himself. _

_Just as he was about to turn away, he heard it. Voices. They were distant, but he was positive he heard voices. Peeking out the open window, Sora searched for the source of the sound below. In the dark, he made out two small figures walking across the street, many stories below from the building. _

"_See? I told you no one would be here. Now we can play without having to worry about other kids picking on you." one of them said. It sounded like a girl. _

"_B-but what if we get in trouble?" the second one asked. The second one, too, was a female. Judging by their pitches, they were very young. Maybe five or six. _

"_Don't worry. No one's out here so we can't get caught! Besides, it's not like we're doing anything bad. We're just playing on public property. The park is for everyone." _

"_But what if it's closed?" the second little girl asked worriedly. _

"…_it's a park. Parks don't close." the first said plainly. _

"_But the park at my school closes!" the second one protests. _

"_That's because school is not public property. The school owns the park." the first girl explained to her friend gently. "So don't worry about it. And if we do get in trouble, I'll take the blame, okay?" she told the other little girl caringly. _

"_O-okay." uncertainty laced the second girl's voice, but she complied with the first. _

"_Good. Now let's play!" the first gave an excited shout and Sora saw one of them racing to the swings with the other one joining soon after—though not jumping around like a lunatic. _

_Sora bit his bottom lip to keep himself from laughing. The first one acted so… so… ridiculous! If his mother ever saw her, she would probably faint, which made the young boy grin at the image. _

_He tried to make out her features, but it was too dark to distinguish anything making him a bit disappointed. He wanted to see what she looked like real badly—an urge unexplainable to him. _

_He heard the light clanging of the swings as he saw them swing back and forth from above. Each of them unaware that they had an audience as they enjoyed their time in the empty park. He heard their giggles clearly like bells. A foreign sound to him—when was the last time he ever heard people laugh so carefree? _

_He didn't want to answer that question. For it scared him to admit that even he not once laughed like that. Or at all for that matter. _

_Why could they laugh and he couldn't? What was so different between them that allowed them the ability to laugh when he could not find a reason to? _

_He was intrigued by that. He wanted to know. He wanted to ask them what was it about simple things that made them laugh like that. He wanted to find some reasons to laugh too. _

_A startled yelp caught his attention when one of the figures jumped off the swing landing painfully. The other let out a cry and barely skidded to a stop before she too left her swing to reach the girl. _

"_Are you alright?" the second panicked. Sora could've sworn his heart beat stopped dead and his breath hitched in his throat. He almost ran out of the room to join the two girls outside to see if the first girl was okay. _

Please let her be okay. Please let her be okay, _Sora begged in his mind. On normal circumstances, the boy would've questioned these newfound feelings of concern and worry. Feelings he's not even felt for his parents but yet with a little girl he couldn't see properly. _

_Though the panicked boy's thoughts didn't even cross that line of thinking or his bizarre fondness for a strange little girl. He just wanted to know if she was okay._

"_Yeah, I'm fine. See? Just a scrape. Nothing to worry about." the first little girl told her companion with a following groan and Sora gave a sigh of relief when he heard her reply._

_She was okay… _

"_Let's go home. We'll get a band-aid for that." the second girl shakily suggested. Sora could tell the first girl was bummed by that despite his lack of being able to see her. _

"_You worry too much. Honestly, it's my job to worry about _you_. I'm the big sister here. Are you trying to steal big sis's thunder?" she must've been pouting by her tone. _

"_I don't want you to get infested and die!" the second girl sniffled. _

"_It's infected, not infested—and no, I will not die." The first reassured her younger sister. A sigh escaped her lips from defeat, "But if that's what will make you happy, then fine. It's late anyhow." The younger sister must've been pleased because she hugged her older sibling happily. _

"_Thank you." _

_As Sora watched them, he couldn't help but feel a surge of envy and longing. It was obvious they cared about each other very much and would do anything for each other. Why did they have that and he didn't? What did they do to deserve that kind of love? _

"_Ah. It's snowing." the older sister said and sure enough, frosty snowflakes began raining down. She laughed out elatedly and spun around in directionless circles with her arms wide open. "Yay! It's snowing!" _

"_It's cold." the younger sister complained, but a giggle erupted from her lips. She joined her older sibling in purposeless spinning with her arms spread. _

_Cobalt eyes observed the two spinning before they somehow ended up next to each other and began to waltz funny—the older sibling acting as the male and the younger sibling acting as the female. It was a miracle that no one came outside to investigate their loud laughter. _

_A small smile came upon Sora's features as he watched them. It was like they were in their own little world—nothing sad or cruel raining down on their spirits. A lone moment in time with solely happiness. _

_And for some rationale, he felt like he was being absorbed in that one instance in time with them. _

"_Okay, now it is getting cold. Let's head home, ne?" the older sister said to her sister. _

"_Yay! We can have hot chocolate, right?" the younger sibling pleaded. _

"_Sure. I'll make some when we get home." just as the second girl was about to walk, the first one stopped her though. "Wait! First we have to make a wish!" _

"_Eh? A wish?" _

"_Of course! Pops once told me that when you see the first snow of winter falling with a person special to you, you get to make a wish." the older sister explained sagely. _

"_What should I wish for?" asked her younger sister. _

"_Whatever you want. It's your wish." _

"_Hmmm… I wish we can have hot chocolate when we get home!" _

"_You're not supposed to tell me! Then it won't come true! …Nevermind, I'm gong to make hot chocolate anyway when we get back so that rule is null and void for that one. Let's go." _

"_Okay, Na-Na!" The two joined hands and walked away, his sapphire eyes trained on them until their figures were completely out of sight. _

_He stared outside at the falling snow thinking about his weird observation. His thoughts drifted back to the older sister's words. _

"_Someone special, huh?" he questioned aloud to nobody. His eyes closed and he thought back to the older sister and how she was so caring to her sibling. _

_A hand reached out touching the falling snowflakes before retreating back inside, shutting the window also. Once finished with the task, Sora slid down with his back to the wall until he reached the floor. He pulled his knees to his chest and buried his head in his arms. _

_All the jealousy and longing from before burst making tears come to his eyes at the unfairness of it all. Why couldn't he have something like that? Why was he left out? Why? Why? Why? He didn't understand it at all! _

"Don't worry…" _her voice whispered in his head comfortably. _"You'll be okay." _she reassured him and he—though not seeing her face throughout his encounter with her—could tell she was grinning. _

_Someone special… did she count as someone special? _

"_I wish I could meet you." Sora said to vacant air. Tears ran down his face and he sniffled, and then he wiped his arm under his nose and eyes to fruitlessly stop his sadness. "I wish I could find someone like you. Someone who will care about me. I want someone to care about me like you would've." _

"_I wish I had someone special for me to care about too…" _

_That was the first and last time he made a wish like that… _

* * *

_End of Flashback _(Present Day)

His growling stomach got noisier causing him to snap out of his daze. How long had he been staring at that park? Long enough for his stomach to become obnoxiously noisy obviously. With that thought, Sora resumed his search for somewhere to eat.

That memory was something he had buried in his heart. Ever since that day, he didn't think about it again. Why should he have? Why ponder on a stupid wish he had made when he was seven?

Although, when he now thought back on it, maybe his wish wasn't stupid as he believed it was. It wasn't strange to want something like that. To have someone to care about you and to care about them in return. Especially with his self-absorbed parents, no wonder he wished for something like that.

He didn't approach any thoughts about the two children he saw that night. While maybe they gave him a glimpse of hope that love was indeed in the world, the brunette male figured it was pointless to dwell on questions that he would never get answers too. Hell, he never even saw their faces clearly! It was best not to ponder on the whereabouts of where those two little girls were now in the world.

Especially the older sister. She made an impact on his life that night; on the other hand, he didn't need to depend on that memory anymore. He didn't need that memory of her to fill him with desires that were silly to think about.

_Are they really silly? _his conscious chimed in, _Besides, it's not like your wish went unheard. You _do_ have someone—_

Sora slapped his forehead to stop that train of thought. Blond hair and blue eyes with an easy-going grin flashed in his consciousness before he shook it away vigorously. His heart pounded in his chest when the picture came to mind.

"_It seems you've found a special kitten to hold close, haven't you?"_

His father's words from before came into his brain despite his protests.

"_I've never seen you this happy—especially if it was caused by a single woman…"_

Was his father telling him the truth about that? Has his father noticed a change that Sora couldn't see?

No! His father was just trying to get into his head! Probably doing this as a ploy to get Sora to come back to that house. Back to where the ice around his heart would not melt.

"_Then why is it that you're so defensive about her? Why is it that you're so happy with her more than anyone? What is it about her that keeps you coming back to her over and over again, Sora?"_

He… didn't know… He just did.

"_Could it be that you've developed feelings for her? Have you fallen in love with her, Sora?" _

"Shut up!" he said holding his head in his hands. He wanted his father's words to be quiet! It wasn't like that! He just… he just…

Just what? Looked at her as a friend? A co-worker?

"Um, Mr. Niwaharu…?" asked a tiny voice. Sapphire eyes snapped open to see Olette Satsuki standing in front of him with a confused look on her face. "Are you okay?" she inquired. Sora swallowed and drove his haunting thoughts from his head before replying.

"Yeah, sorry about that, erm… Miss Satsuki."

"It's okay." Olette smiled at him relieved that he was fine. Namine wouldn't like it if one of her friends wasn't feeling well. "What are you doing here? Where are your friends?" she asked him.

"They had work." Sora explained causing Olette to nod in understanding. Suddenly the growling of Sora's stomach decided to cut in and scold Sora for not yet feeding it _still_. Olette let out a giggle and gestured him to follow her.

"There's a nice place down the street to eat." the emerald-eyed brunette told Sora meanwhile walking. Stopping only a minute after, she gave him another smile. "Here we are."

It was a Nifty Fifties, but this wasn't the one that Namine had taken them to a while ago when Seifer—the bastard—came to visit. His eyes widened considerably when he took the sight in.

"Mr. Niwaharu, what are you staring at?" Olette noticed his change in expression.

"I've been here before…" Sora replied barely above a whisper.

"Really? I thought you and the others haven't been to these kinds of places before you met Namine." Olette tilted her head in confusion. Sora swallowed a bit before continuing.

"I never went inside, but I remember sitting on this curb."

"I see…" Olette was still lost at what significance that had, but the beeping on her watch didn't allow her to ponder about it. Emerald eyes widened in alarm when she saw the time. "Ah! I'm sorry, Mr. Niwaharu, but I have to go or else I'll be late!"

"For what?" Sora asked her with a raised eyebrow. Olette looked at him before a huge rosy blush erupted on her face.

"Well… I'm meeting Hayner…" she shyly said.

"For a date?" he asked. This caused the female's face to become that of a cherry.

"U-um, n-n-no! N-nothing like t-that!" she stuttered. "U-um, b-bye!" she quickly made her retreat leaving Sora to stare with a dumbfounded expression at the trail of smoke she left behind.

"So it is a date…"

With that said, the male entered the eating establishment—oblivious to the women's heart-eyed gazes—and ordered his meal once he was seated. The waitress nearly fainted as she walked away to place his order.

Left by himself, his eyes immediately trained their sights on the curb outside. A flash of two people sitting there drinking milkshakes entered his mind before he closed his eyes with a sigh and leaned back in the seat.

Funny how another strange encounter occurred in this area…

* * *

_Flashback _(Thirteen years ago)

_Nine-year-old Sora glared at his mother's back as they entered the tall building across from the park. His father was away on a business trip so she decided to take him to one of his associate's buildings to learn more about the world he would be entering when he became an adult. _

_In other words, she would chat with the associate and proceed to brag about her "perfect life". He would just stand around doing nothing since no one ever strikes up conversations with him. You would think they thought he was mute or something._

_Boring; pointless; useless. That's what this outing was in Sora's book. _

Well what if you just sneak away? _his conscious proposed, _It's not like anyone will notice you missing being too focused in talking about themselves. _his conscious snorted and Sora couldn't help but agree. _

_His mother's back was to him and already she and her companion forgot he was there while they conversed. He smirked when he turned and quietly snuck outside the doors into the warm, sunny air. He tugged on the collar of his shirt as the humid air touched his skin. Jeez, why did he have to wear these suits when it was so hot out! _

_Opening up the collar of his shirt a bit and taking off his jacket and tie, Sora proceeded to walk as far away from the building as possible…_

…_Or he _would_ have if something didn't knock straight into him five seconds later! _

_Sora's jacket and tie flew out of his hands as he tumbled to the ground. Hearing an identical thud in front of him, he concluded that whatever collided with him had fallen back too. _

"_Ouch…" he heard someone's voice mutter. Sapphire eyes opened to see a small kid rubbing the back of their head wincing in pain. They wore a white, baggy t-shirt and baggy blue jeans with beaten, worn-out sneakers. A navy baseball cap was over their head making it impossible to tell what color hair they had and the shadows from the cap obscured the upper part of their face additionally. _

"_Note to self: when running forward, keep your head forward too to watch where you're going instead of looking behind you to check for pursuers." their comment brought Sora out of his stupor and now he was glaring at the kid. _

"_Watch where you're going!" he chided the kid. It seemed that got the kid's attention because they looked up with their mouth open a bit—like just realizing he was there. Soon a panicked expression formed on their face when they heard a sound behind them. Turning back to him, the kid sprang up and yanked him up too with surprisingly strong force for someone so small. _

"_No time to talk! We have to go! They might be right behind me!" the kid said frantic and pulled him along like he was some kind of rag doll. Sora exclaimed in shock when the kid held him by his arm while they ran. _

"_Hey! Let me go, you runt! I don't even know you!" Sora shouted at the kid, whose grip tightened when they heard that comment. The kid then dove into an alleyway bringing him with them. Their small, pale hand slapped against his mouth not allowing him to make a sound and held him against them as they listened for something. Sora's eyes widened when he heard footsteps come and go running past the alleyway. His kidnapper kept them in that position for three minutes before letting out a breath of relief. _

"_Heh, that should give me some time for a bit. Sorry, but since you saw me, I couldn't let you alert them about me. My life depends on this, you know. I cannot, under no circumstances, be caught!" the kid said to him releasing his mouth. _

What are they talking about? Is this kid apart of some organization and now the organization wants to kill them? _Sora thought thinking back to some of the novels he started reading. Okay, so that was a million to one chance of that happening in real life, but hey! The kid said their life depends on it. _

"_Why are you running?" Sora asked while the kid checked outside the alleyway to see if the coast was clear. They turned back to Sora with a serious frown on their face. _

"_I want to get pancakes, but the staff keeps putting me back in the hospital before I can get to them." the kid stated bluntly causing Sora to sweat drop. _

_They were doing all of this… for pancakes?! _

"_You're doing this so you can get pancakes?" Sora raised an eyebrow skeptically at the obviously loony person. He could feel rather than see the kid glare back at him. _

"_Have you ever had hospital food? It's disgusting. I thought hospitals were supposed to help people, not make them want to puke." the kid replied making the boy cringe when he thought about how the kid described hospital food. _

"_Anyway, the coast's clear so we can go now." the kid told him. Again, Sora raised a skeptical eyebrow. _

"_We? Why am I going?" _

"_Because," the kid sighed out exasperatedly. "If I let you escape before I get my pancakes, you'll go find those people and tell them where I am. I'm sure you'd want to do that since I just manhandled you." they stated as if the fact was apparent, which it was since that thought _did_ cross his mind… _

"_Fine." Sora grit out frustrated. He escapes one prison only to end up in another. Great, just great. _

_It didn't help his mood anymore when the kid suddenly whacked him on the head. _

"_Ow! What was that for?!" _

"_Because you called me a runt earlier. I'm only a year younger than you!" _

"_I'm not seven, moron. I'm nine! Can't you tell?" _

"_Yeah, I know! I'm eight-years-old, stupid!" _

"_Well—wait, you're eight?" Sora asked astonished. He was sure the kid was six or something. _

"_Get stuffed." the kid growled out and continued on their way towards their earlier destination. Sora only shrugged and followed the pipsqueak. _

_It didn't take long for his kidnapper and him to reach where the runt was going to—it was a small eating establishment called Nifty Fifties. Sora concluded that it was a commoner restaurant because he hasn't heard of it nor does it appear classy and elegant like the usual restaurants he's seen. _

_The brunette watched the boy—he perceived his kidnapper to be a boy because there's no way a girl would ever act like that, and the way the kid was dressed—go inside quickly in order to obtain his pancakes. Letting out a sigh, Sora ran a hand through his spiky brown locks with a pout on his face. He supposed he _could've _taken this chance to run away, but then the kid might run and catch him again—he was surprisingly fast as well as strong… or maybe not because he's heard that small people are faster… but others say that tall people are faster for their long legs… hmmm… _

"_I'm back!" the capped boy came out holding two objects in his hands. A grin was on his face while gazing at Sora. "Bon appetite!" he said holding out one of the objects to him. Sora's expression was that of confusion. _

"_These aren't pancakes…" Sora said slowly wondering how high this person's intelligence was exactly. _

"_I know. They're milkshakes. It's really hot out so I got something cool for us." the boy replied with the same tone Sora used. _

"_But you wanted pancakes." _

"_Well, yeah, I still do, but I figured since I kidnapped and manhandled you, you deserved something. Think of it as an apology." the boy told Sora sheepishly. _

"_You could've gotten yourself some pancakes, you know." Sora pointed out. The capped boy only shook his head. _

"_It was either I bought pancakes or two milkshakes. I didn't have enough to buy both." this statement made Sora's eyes widen. Didn't have enough? Oh right, the boy must've been a commoner. He wasn't rich like Sora was. _

"_And you still got these… milkshakes…?" Sora ended uncertainly. He's never heard of milkshakes before, much less had one. The boy just shrugged. _

"_Like I said, think of it as an apology. I can just get pancakes next time—besides, I'm sure my Pops would appreciate me spending the money he gave me on something selfless instead of selfish." The younger boy explained sitting down on the curb. "Now let's drink these puppies before they melt, ne?" _

"_Puppies? You said they were milkshakes." Sora was confused by what this kid was saying. The capped lad furrowed their brow at him. _

"_It's an expression. Lots of people say that. Are you an alien or something?" the boy asked him curiously making Sora look back at them dubiously. _

"_Are _you_?" After all, the boy was a little on the insane side… _

"_No. Now hurry up and drink your milkshake. I hate food going to waste." with that, the kid started slurping his milkshake loudly, yet contently. His posture was in a laidback fashion. _

_Instead of doing what his companion was doing, Sora just stared at the cup. _

"_Is it good?" he asked the capped lad. This caused the kid to almost choke on his milkshake. His mouth dropped a bit to gape at Sora. _

"'_Is it good?' he says. You act as if you never had a milkshake before in your life!" _

"_I haven't." Sora said averting his eyes in a different direction embarrassed. The boy almost dropped his milkshake in shock. _

"_Wow. I mean, I don't get to have these often, but at least I had them before. You must've been living under a rock if you never had a milkshake. It's a good thing I came around or else you would've never had one." the boy told Sora in awe. Sora's cheeks reddened at the lad's words. _

"_It's not my fault my parents don't care about me to get me one!" Sora shouted angrily at the kid. Silence rained upon them as Sora stared in shock when he realized what he had said and the boy just stared back with a passive expression. _

"_So you have shitty parents?" Well, that was blunt. _

"_F-forget it! Forget I said that!" Sora said turning his head away from the kid's stare. God, even without seeing his gaze, it was still unnerving. _

"_What's the big deal? They're crappy, half-assed parents, right? Just admit it. It's not that hard." the boy told him sternly wagging his index finger at him. _

"_Do you have to say it like that? You're eight. You shouldn't cuss." Sora lectured the younger boy who only shrugged nonchalantly. _

"_Meh, no one cares what I do; they know that I won't encourage others on cussing—and don't change the subject." he ended, chastising Sora. _

"_Why should I tell you anything?" Sora narrowed his ocean blue eyes at the boy. That was true. The boy practically dragged him against his will into his own problems and whacked him around like a toy. _

"_I'm not saying you should—if you don't want to talk about it, that's on you—but trust me that talking can help. Bottling things up isn't healthy, or at least that's what a wise person once told me." the boy said. He continued, "I won't tell you 'I understand' or give you any sentimental crap or tell you meaningless lies—nothing but the truth, okay?" _

_Sora glanced at the boy before turning his eyes to his milkshake. He bit the inside of his cheek then began to speak. _

"_My parents… aren't around—well, my mother is, but she only cares about appearances and herself. She'll forget I'm right beside her and talk as if I'm not there. I don't think she even knows anything about me. I'm surprised she remembers my name." Sora let out a bitter laugh. "My father isn't any better—he's never around, but when he's there, he doesn't even look at me—when he does, he tells me to go study or something like that." His grip on his milkshake tightened. "They look at me, but they don't see me. To them, I'm just some obligation that should mold to their ideals." he glared down at his milkshake. The kid next to him was quiet for a few moments before he spoke. _

"_Then leave." he stated bluntly. Sora's mouth hung open and his eyes were wide glancing at the boy who took another swig out of his milkshake. _

"_What? That's it?" he asked doubtfully. _

"_Yup." the boy replied simply. "If you don't like it so much, then leave." he said it like it was the easiest thing in the world to do. _

"_I'm nine! Where will I go?" Sora retorted glaring at his companion. _

"_Then wait until you're legal. You've already endured their crap for nine years, surely another nine won't kill you." the boy explained bringing the milkshake to his mouth. "You can't fight them as a child, but as an adult, you can. So, become a strong adult before you rebel." the boy added as if talking about the weather. "There, problem solved. Now, shut up and enjoy your milkshake." the lad instructed sternly, but Sora saw the playful smile on their face. The boy's easy-going smile made him smile shyly back. _

"_Okay." The brunette complied tentatively bringing the straw to his lips. He sipped it lightly and not soon after, a cool, sweet taste reached his mouth. He drank some more, this time more sure of himself with a smile on his face. It was really delicious. _

"_See? Good, right?" the lad's voice made Sora recall he wasn't alone. The boy's smile was still in place as his shadowed eyes softened at Sora. Sora nodded at the younger boy. _

"_Now try slurping it _really _loudly. That's fun." the boy said and did the action soon after. The nine-year-old tried to slurp like the strange boy was doing, but his slurp was barely above a whisper. "Louder!" this time it was obnoxiously noisy. "That's it! Fun, right? I once made a song out of my slurps! It made my sister laugh so hard when she was crying yesterday when she came to visit me." This made Sora's slurping cease. Visit? Oh right, the boy said he came from the hospital… _

"_Why were you in the hospital?" Sora inquired all of a sudden taking his companion aback. He noticed the kid's shoulders tensed for a second before they were normal again, but the once happy aura was now… remorseful? _

"_I got a small concussion… and my back got cut so I had to get some stitches, but it wasn't that deep I don't think…" the boy explained gazing at his knees. His grip on his milkshake tightened, apparently remembering how they ended up in the hospital. _

"_What?! Then why are you walking around?! You should be resting!" Sora panicked concerned for this strange kid. Nonetheless, the kid only shook his head. _

"_I'm fine. My friend's in a lot worse shape than I am. He got hurt really badly. It's kinda my fault it happened." the boy spat the last part out in self-loathing. Sora didn't like the dark aura surrounding the boy. It reminded himself of his own. And he didn't want to see it on this kid for some reason. _

"_I'm sure it wasn't. And your friend probably thinks that too." Sora told him. "If they're your friend, they should know that you would never put them in danger like that." _

"_Hmph, that's something he would say if I told him it was my fault too. But words don't change the fact that I was an idiot." _

"_Is he okay?" Sora asked him out of nowhere. He could tell the kid was blinking at him. _

"_Um… yeah, he should make a full recovery." The kid replied. _

"_Then there's nothing to worry about. He's fine. You're fine. You're still friends. That's all that matters." Sora smiled at the boy. His words were foreign to his own ears, but it felt… nice to say them to the kid. It was nice to assist in cheering the child up. _

"_Whatever you say." the kid's nonchalant aura returned and Sora took another sip of his milkshake—slurping loudly. Blue eyes glanced over to the boy beside him as he continued slurping noisily. _

"_You're doing it wrong. It sounds completely off key." the boy pointed out with a small smile. He scooted closer to Sora to better instruct him on how to do slurping the right way. On the other hand, his eyes widened when he caught sight of Sora's melting milkshake. "Ah! Quick! Drink it before it melts completely!" the capped boy exclaimed waving his arms like a manic. _

"_Huh?" Sora asked tilting his head slightly, startled at the kid's franticness. _

"_If it melts then it's no good! It will all go to waste!" the kid said frenetic. "Oh jeez, you're not even halfway done! A perfectly good milkshake gone to waste! That could've gone to a third world country for all we know!" the kid was bonking himself on his head making Sora sweat drop. He put down his milkshake and reached out a hand to calm the loony child down. Feeling his touch on his shoulder, the boy gave a surprised jolt forward and tumbled into Sora instead of away. _

_Lips made contact and Sora found himself staring into clear cerulean eyes. Both their eyes were as wide as saucers and only one thought centered around their minds. _

Tastes like milkshakes…

"_There you are! Finally we found you!" a nurse shouted shattering the shell-shock stupor both of them were frozen in. The boy sprang away hastily and turned to see about five people racing towards him. _

"_Shit!" he yelled and high tailed it out of there faster than you could say "doom". He and the five adults disappeared out of Sora's sight. The nine-year-old was gaping at the direction where they once were. His eyes then drifted to the two milkshakes sitting on the curb—one was his and the other was the kid's. Picking both of them up, he walked over to the trash can, but stopped at the last minute remembering the kid's attitude on wasting the milkshakes before turning back in the direction of the building where his mother was. He would finish the milkshakes before he went inside. _

"You can't fight them as a child, but as an adult, you can. So, become a strong adult before you rebel."

_Sora thought back to the kid's words pensively… wait until he was a strong adult, huh? _

_Suddenly, a realization occurred to him and he let out a horrified scream. _

_He just kissed a guy! _

* * *

_End of Flashback _(Present Day)

A bang occurred at one of the tables in the Nifty Fifties causing some to turn to see what the commotion was. The handsome male from earlier now had his forehead against the table's surface—still, that didn't seem to subtract how good looking he was in the many female population's eyes.

On the other hand, Sora was yelling in his mind. He still can't believe he lost his first kiss to a guy! Thank God he never told anyone about that memory—Riku would on no account let him live that factor down if he knew.

Although, now that he thought about it, the boy's structure was a little too feminine to be a boy… and his lips were too soft for a boy's… Argh! Stop it! Sora banged his head lightly again for thinking that.

"_You can't fight them as a child, but as an adult, you can. So, become a strong adult before you rebel." _those words floated in the male's subconscious. That advice… that advice is what kept him going for those nine years.

And follow that advice Sora did. It only made it easier when he had found out about Roxas's existence when he was about fifteen. He had roped Riku into it—of course because Riku was amazing at these types of things and Sora knew he couldn't do it alone—and they effortlessly located Roxas. Course Roxas was a bit skeptical at first—Sora's spontaneous idea was a bit unprepared, but then again, that's what he has Riku for. To have some preparation concerning his impulsive ideas—though he did seem interested in Riku and Sora's plan of escaping their parents and home lives. Axel and Demyx—being Roxas's friends and also having similar situations and feelings—were also recruited into "The Plan" as Riku plainly dubbed it. ("If I let you think of a name, it would be very complicated and ridiculous." Riku told him when Sora complained about the banal title)

Three years they've kept their friendship under wraps. It was much uncomplicated to hide it. Their parents didn't ask questions nor did they notice most of the time that their sons had departed for a bit. The five of them were anxious to carry out "The Plan." Several times they almost commenced it earlier, but Riku—being the most level-headed—would remind them that they needed to wait to be legal. Patience is a virtue after all.

As soon as Roxas turned eighteen—patience could now go screw itself.

When Roxas was eighteen, they were as good as free. They weren't tied down by their parents' shackles. They could finally leave. And as they say, the rest was history. They left their parents' house, moved in together, and spent four years prior to the addition of the newest member in their group in contentment. A soft smile came upon Sora's face unconsciously when he thought about the spirited blonde haired woman.

"Here's your order, Sir." the waitress returned with his meal donning hearts for eyes and a red blush across her cheeks. The brunette nodded his thanks, and the waitress almost fainted in ecstasy from the unmindful male.

Pools of sapphire shifted to the meal and his mouth watered at the sight of warm pancakes and a milkshake. He gave off a quiet chuckle before beginning to eat.

_Don't worry; I won't let it go to waste… _

* * *

It didn't take him long to finish eating, so Sora decided to stroll around the non-crowded middle class district. It was peaceful and spacious compared to what he was used to seeing in Uptown—constantly filled with crowds of people and noise.

Ironically his feet unknowingly led him back to the abandoned park. The air rattled the chains of the swings making them sway leisurely, invitingly—like it had once for two little girls in the middle of a cold December night all those years ago.

His shoes stepped onto the grass while his brain took a backseat. Sitting on one of the swings hesitantly, his hands reached up simultaneously to grasp the chains connecting the swing to the support beam above it. His legs pushed him back and forth a bit, but his feet didn't leave the ground to break into a full swing.

_Namine leaped in glee when she saw the swings nearby. Immediately separating herself from her five bosses, she sprinted to the swings in a mad dash. _

"_Yahoo!" she screamed pushing herself forward and backward really high, a happy expression on her features. Her cheeks were flushed in excitement. _

"_Jeez, is anyone sure she's twenty-one and not five?" Roxas asked placing his hands in his pockets in a bored manner. It was bad enough the midget dragged them away from their original mission of changing her wardrobe to walk in the park, now she was acting like an idiot in public. _

"_Who knows." Riku replied, but despite his stoic face, you could see a spark of fondness in his eyes. Roxas made a "tch." sound next to him. Axel gave a snicker when he saw that Demyx—instead of staying with the group—had joined Namine in swinging and acting like a moron. _

_Sora caught Namine's eye and she waved at him from her high elevation—her present grin in place. He waved back with a tiny smile. _

"_Sora, come and catch me, okay?" she proposed to him mischievously. Uh-oh, when Namine got these ideas in her head, usually it ended with her having an accident. The brunette tried to dissuade her less she carry it out. _

"_I'll drop you." he called walking closer to the swings. Namine pouted and shook her head. _

"_No you wouldn't. Roxas maybe, but you wouldn't." She stuck her tongue out at the blonde male far away from her who, luckily, didn't hear her comment. _

"_Namine—"Sora was going to chide her for the remark, but all of a sudden, she flung herself off the swing right at him. He became panicked and scrambled to catch her so she wouldn't hurt herself. _

_Though his heart was in the right place, his body wasn't. Namine slammed into him and they both toppled to the ground. Grass and dirt scattered as Namine sat upwards on his stomach and he was lying on his back on the ground. Her face took on a satisfied grin. _

"_Told you so." _

He couldn't help but wince at the memory. His back was in pain for a week after that. Namine was unharmed though, which made him feel faintly better.

Namine would love this place. It wasn't fancy nor was it elaborate. She could enjoy herself here, he figured. The swings especially. Namine, from what he could gather, always had a penchant for swings.

It was the musings of the woman that surfaced his next question: What was the point for the trip down memory lane? Was there some kind of significance to it? He supposed that it was his father's fault. His father put the seed in his head that took root for his memories to come back to him today.

But what exactly was the seed his father planted in his head? What was the seed that sprouted his thoughts?

"_Could it be that you've developed feelings for her? Have you fallen in love with her, Sora? It is that way, isn't it? It sure seems that way in the photo as you look at her. Probably didn't even realize it, now did you?"_

At first, his father's words seemed ludicrous; on the other hand, the more he pondered on it, the more he thought about his past thoughts and actions, and his constant drift back to thinking about Namine throughout the day, could he really…?

"Sora?" a voice asked him with a hint of surprise. Sora knew that voice. He always knew that voice anywhere…

There she was. Namine Narumi stood on the sidewalk only a few yards away from him parallel to where he sat on the swing with blinking cerulean eyes. She wore skinny blue jeans with light brown ugg boots and a navy sweatshirt/hoodie down to her mid thighs with 'PENN' imprinted on it—representing Penn State no doubt. Over her navy sweatshirt was her tan overcoat unbuttoned in addition with her cardinal red scarf tucked snuggly around her neck. Her blonde hair was tied in a stylish low ponytail and she was holding a plastic bag in her left hand.

"Um, Hey Namine…" Sora greeted ineptly. His grip on the chains constricted, then became slack again. "What are you doing here?" he asked her. The blonde shrugged dismissively.

"I was visiting a bud of mine who was staying here with some relatives. They're on vacation so she has the house to herself." Namine replied. "As I was walking home, I just got this strange urge to come here—my flashback senses were going haywire for the past half hour."

"Flashback Senses?" Sora inquired confused.

"Ask Tifa." was all the blonde said to which the brunette nodded.

"So, do we know your friend?" Sora asked out of nowhere, his previous thinking coming back to him making his heart pound nervously.

"Nah, I met her when she was first starting college—hence the borrowed hoodie I'm wearing—she's the president of the National Orange Soda Association."

"Erm… okay…something like that really exists?" cue sweat drop. Namine nodded sagaciously.

"You better believe it—there's over 20,000 members across America now. I'm the VP, but I don't really do anything—she just likes me the most so she made me the VP."

"I… see…" the male couldn't help but be thankful he hasn't met Namine's buddy. She sounds crazy. (Like you're one to talk, Sora.)

"So yeah, a couple of members in the area and I went over and we all had some take out—"she held up the plastic bag for emphasis—"and watched Disney movies—the classics, not the horrible stuff they play now I mean." the blonde ended her explanation.

"Did you have fun?" Sora questioned, a gentle smile on his face at the same time as looking at her. A grin exploded on her face and she nodded.

"Yeah, it was nice to just kick back and enjoy myself to Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame, and all that jazz." her relaxed smile turned to a curious frown, "What are you doing out here anyway? It's almost nighttime, you know."

Sure enough, her words were true. The sun was barely in the sky making it a mix of blue with a tiny glow of yellow from the practically set sun. Furthermore, the street lamps were now on around the park rooted on the sidewalks.

Had that much time really passed?

"Thinking." Sora shrugged collectedly. To this, the young woman raised an eyebrow.

"About?"

"Nothing." he said still with a casual posture. She had that effect on him—made him feel a lot calmer than what he once was. The oldest Narumi female approached him, discarding her bag softly on the ground, and kneeled in front of him taking his hands in her own.

"You sure?" a trace of concern appeared in her clear blue eyes, but her tone stayed the same.

"Yup." Sora responded. He, without realizing, began to stroke her hands as he sat on the swing gazing down at her. After a moment, she let out a sigh.

"Well, it's your business—if you don't want to talk, that's fine." Namine told him demonstrating she wouldn't push it out of him. "Nonetheless, don't bottle it up, alright? That's not healthy." she played with their adjoined hands tenderly.

"Right…" déjà vu came upon him but he shook it off.

Namine clicked her tongue and sprang up, tugging him up with her.

"I'm hungry—feel like having some take-out and hot chocolate at the apartment?" she asked not bothering to wait for an answer, for she proceeded to drag him along. However, he didn't come with her. Blue eyes turned back to him wondering why he wasn't coming.

"What's up?"

"Will you dance with me?" he blurted out. Saying that made his eyes widen—an action Namine mirrored.

"Erm… right now?" she stared at him. Sora blushed and averted his eyes to anything but her.

"Forget I said that. I was just—"

"Alright." she cut him off with a careless shrug. Sora gaped at her.

"But I—"

"You were the one to ask, so don't try to weasel your way out of it." the former writer lectured. She guided him away from the swings halfway between the playing instrument and the sidewalk. Namine let go of his hands and placed one of her own on his shoulders. Expectant cerulean gazed into uneasy cobalt.

The twenty-two-year-old swallowed the lump in his throat and placed his hand on her waist, the other joining with her empty one. A warm feeling engulfed his hand from the contact, but he ignored it.

"I have no idea how to properly waltz, so don't laugh." Namine voiced went through his ears. Sora nodded mutely.

Their movements were stiff and discomfited, like they were unsure on how to actually dance with a partner. The unvarying silence around them didn't help much either. It's been a very long time since Sora last waltzed, and Namine—as she stated before—never properly waltzed in her life.

Nevertheless, it wasn't like this was their first time dancing. They've done this at Thanksgiving, but something seemed different now—more intimate. It was just the two of them here. Only them in that abandoned park with the street lights as their only audience.

This discovery simmered something in their minds. This waltz was wrong; far too stiff and distant for them. They needed to make it different somehow. It was as if the embarrassment was flowing out of them and their instincts began to guide them. Their souls whispered instructions in their ears though they heard nothing.

Their connected hands slowly separated themselves—Namine's hand ran along Sora's arm to his vacant shoulder and his slid down to her other hip. A witness could testify their breathes were in sync whilst they stared into each other's sapphire eyes, communicating instructions that the world was unaware of, and pulled the other closer until they were touching. Once done with their reformation, they began to sway smoothly, simultaneously.

A small humming broke the daze Sora had and he found Namine was humming to herself while still looking up him.

"What are you humming?" he asked as they still swayed. Not once did they falter.

"Hmm?" Namine murmured sleepily. "Oh!" she said more awake now. "Sorry, the last movie we watched was Pocahontas and the ending song is stuck in my head. It's a pretty song." Namine clarified. "I didn't realize I was humming it."

"What's it called?" Sora asked her.

"'If I never knew you'." Namine said to him. With that, she resumed her humming and they were silent once more. She linked her arms around his neck and brought herself closer to him, laying her head against his shoulder. Her lips parted, and she quietly began to sing.

"_If I never knew you.  
If I never felt this love.  
I would have no inkling of  
How precious life can be.  
And if I never held you  
I would never have a clue.  
How at last I find in you  
The missing part of me.  
In this world so full of fears.  
Full of rage and lies.  
I can see the truth so clear  
In your eyes,  
So dry your eyes.  
And I'm so grateful to you  
I'd have lived my whole life through.  
Lost forever  
If I never knew you…" _

Sora started to hum along with her whispered lyrics. She was right, it was a pretty song.

"Why don't you sing too?" she whined inaudibly. "I feel weird singing by myself."

"Don't know the words." Sora told her just as quietly, afraid to shatter the serene atmosphere they had. "You sing fine. I see no broken windows anywhere." he added sincerely. This caused Namine to snort in laughter. Calming down, she started singing again.

"_If I never knew you.  
I'd be safe, but half as real.  
Never knowing  
I could feel  
A love so strong and true.  
I'm so grateful to you.  
I'd have lived my whole life through.  
Lost forever  
If I never knew you…" _

A smile uplifted his lips while listening to her whispered singing. They swayed gracefully leaning against the other one.

Listening to her whispered lyrics, he couldn't help but feel a certain important meaning in her choice of song. It almost seemed too important. Like something obvious was staring back at him in the face.

This whole day seemed to be stating something evident and he was confused on what exactly that statement was. These memories. These moments. This present. What was it?

"_I thought our love  
Would be so beautiful.  
Somehow we'd make  
The whole world bright.  
I never knew that  
Fear and Hate could  
Be so strong.  
All they'd leave us  
Were these whispers  
In the night."_

"_Have you fallen in love with her, Sora?" _his father's words rang in his head.

_No! I…_

"_It is that way, isn't it? It sure seems that way in the photo as you look at her." _

_It's not…_

_"Then why is it that you're so defensive about her? Why is it that you're so happy with her more than anyone? What is it about her that keeps you coming back to her over and over again, Sora?"_

_I just… _

"_Have you fallen in love with her?" _

"_Have you fallen in love with her?" _

"_Have you fallen in love with her?" _

"_But still my heart is saying we were right…" _Namine sang.

_I… _his eyes widened, and his hold tightened, but not enough to harm the blonde. _I did…_

He looked down at the blonde who was leaning against him singing quietly, yet full of ease. A serene smile was timid on her features, but it was also happy and unashamed to be there.

_I have. _

But when? When did he begin to have these feelings? When did he develop these emotions for her so strongly? When?

He had no idea. It snuck up on him. It lurked in the shadows, waiting to pounce on him completely and utterly unexpected.

But… it didn't matter when… it didn't matter how… because…

Namine raised an eyebrow and stopped singing when she felt Sora slightly shaking and something rumbling in his throat. The sound began to get louder and more coherent and she was shocked to hear he was chuckling quietly.

"Wah!" she exclaimed when Sora's arms wrapped securely around her waist and embraced her close, lifting her off the ground in the process while he buried his face in her hair and neck before throwing his head back, still laughing. "What the crap? You startled me!" she scolded him as she had her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, afraid she might fall back if she didn't hold on. Man, she hated these kinds of surprises. They were an accident waiting to happen with her terrible balance coming into the equation.

Sora didn't respond. Instead, he broke out into peals of laughter. Pure, unguarded, and completely carefree laughter. The kind that just screamed "I don't have a care in the world!" kind of laughter.

Namine blinked as she gazed at him. This laughter… it was so different from anytime he previously laughed. When he, or any of the others, had laughed in the past… sure, it sounded happy, but a part of her could feel as if they weren't giving it there all. As if there was something holding them back from completely letting loose and being happy.

But this laugh… it sounded as if everything in the world was okay now. That everything in the world was finally right for the first time.

_I want to keep hearing this laughter… _Namine smiled at that thought before being yanked roughly out of it by Sora, the insane moron, lifting her off the ground into a bridal style position. "Dammit Sora! Stop surprising me like that!" she shrieked but there was a hint of that smile on her face from her previous thought.

"I'm sorry, Namine." Sora apologized through his chuckles. "It's just… I'm so happy right now. It feels like a great weight's been lifted from my shoulders after such a long time. Is that weird?" he asked her.

Namine started at his face a foot away from hers and pondered. She was silent for a few moments before a fond smile came to her face.

"No, it isn't Sora. In fact, it's a great and wonderful thing. Being carefree." she told him. Sora smiled back at her, unwary and joyful.

This feeling… being carefree… it was indeed a wonderful thing.

Namine squealed when Sora, emitting blissful laughter once more, began to spin them around. Her arms held onto him for dear life, but soon, her own peals of laughter escaped her lips and she loosened her hold on him a bit—relishing in the feeling with him. Their laughter was loud and unrestricted. It was liberating.

It didn't matter when he did or how he did because…

_I love you. _

He loved her. Dearly, wholly, unconditionally, honest-to-God loved her.

And it was the greatest feeling he's ever experienced. It was like he was reborn, yet still the same. It was exhilarating. It was refreshing.

It was love. That was all there was to it.

_But the others… _a thought occurred to him, making him slow down in his spinning. He and Namine steadying themselves from being dizzy. _Do they too…? _

Yes, they did. Whether they realized it or not, they too loved Namine. Maybe some of them were starting to catch on, maybe he was the first to be brought up from the ocean of ignorance… he didn't know. When it came to Namine, one can never be too sure on things, but he did know that they too had these feelings or were developing them.

However… it didn't matter now. None of that mattered. For once, Sora wasn't going to indulge himself in his ponderings and insightfulness. He wasn't going to read into things or analyze the situation. He was going to enjoy the moment, the present, right now.

"Ah, it's snowing…" Namine's statement brought him out of his musings. And true enough, a white speck of cold wetness landed on his nose, making him look up to the falling snowflakes. "It's snowing! The first snow of the season! Funny how the circumstances are. I usually catch it with that Old Hag, Pops, or Kairi every year. Sometimes Squally, but I think that's only happened twice." Namine spoke aloud. A smile then broke on her features and she turned to him. "Oh well, it's nice to experience it with new people too."

At this, Sora smiled softly back at her. The blonde then turned her gaze away from him and up to the night sky once more. Delight at seeing the white substance falling gently down radiating off of her in wonderment and awe.

Sora's eyes traced her features. To any person, one would say Namine was plain at first glance. Average hair. Average eyes. Average, if not slightly below, body. She wasn't a model. She wasn't overly beautiful. She wasn't well-endowed.

Yet, he loved everything about her. So what if she wasn't a model? So what if she was plain? So what if she wasn't rich or had men drooling? That didn't matter to him because those people who would say those things haven't seen what he's seen. They haven't known her like he's known her.

Her words. Her kindness. Her smiles. Her laughs. Her caring and accepting personality. They haven't seen any of that. Because if they did, they would come to the same conclusion that he did when he looked at her.

She was beautiful as a whole. Her outlook and the way she carried herself. Her kindness and acceptance of others. Her understanding and her ability to listen and comfort others. Her wisdom and words. Her smile. Those are what made her beautiful. Those are what made him love her.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Don't forget to make a wish, Sora." Namine turned her cerulean eyes to him abruptly. He blinked at the suddenness of her words and the weird sense of déjà vu nagging at the back of his head, but he ignored it.

"You're supposed to make a wish when you see the first snow of the season with someone special!" she told him smiling, but then it transformed into a sheepish grin. "But then again, I guess I'm not someone special, huh?" she gave off an embarrassed chuckle for assuming she was important.

"No." he shook his head gently. His azure eyes locked onto hers. "You are someone special, Namine. More than you realize."

"Okay, now you're just being ridiculous." Namine told him with a skeptic gaze. "You don't have to say something like that just to cheer me up, Sora."

"I'm not." he answered simply, going over to the bag of take-out she had left on the ground. It was probably cold now. "I have no reason to lie to you."

"Alright, whatever." Namine told him roughly, trying to cover up her embarrassment at being so openly admitted to being precious by someone. "You coming or what?"

"Let's call the others." he said to her, walking over to her, plastic bag in hand. "I'm sure they too could use a pick-me-up after a stressful day of work, no?" he smiled at her. He already had this time with her and the joy of his newfound feelings. For now, that was enough for him. He wouldn't keep her to himself.

"Yeah." Namine agreed with a grin. "Work must've been killer. Take-out is always a good pick-me-up." They started to walk when Namine stopped. "Did you remember to make a wish, Sora?" Sora just smiled mysteriously before replying.

"Yeah, I wish we would have take-out and hot chocolate when we get back to your apartment." he said grinning in a laidback fashion. Namine did a face palm.

"You're not supposed to tell me! Oh forget it… we were going to do that anyway so it's null and void. Come on then." she gestured him to get moving. He just laughed amused and treaded on his merry way.

Truth be told, Sora felt that he didn't need to make a wish.

He finally got what he wanted from the last one.

"_I wish I had someone special for me to care about too…" _his voice from all those years ago rang clear as a bell in his mind.

And he does. It came in the form of Namine Narumi.

"_Like father like son." _His father's last words to him yesterday were.

_You're wrong, _Sora thought scathingly, _I'm nothing like you. _His gaze drifted to look at the woman beside him. _Because I have her. I have someone to love when you don't. She makes me see that there is good in the world and that there's hope. She makes me not become heartless like you. _

A grip on his hand brought him out of his musings. Namine's excited and impatient gaze stared back at him.

"Come on, slowpoke!" she dragged him forward laughing. A grin blossomed on his face and he chuckled along with her.

"Coming. I'm coming. Jeez, you're so impatient, Namine." he said good-naturedly showing he didn't mean the insult.

"And you're a close relative to the turtle." Namine retorted amused.

"Hey! I do not resemble a turtle!" Sora whined.

"Your pace says otherwise." Namine sang teasingly.

"Why you—"the brunette grinned wickedly and then proceeded to chase her all the way to her apartment, both of them laughing and calling out taunts to each other like children.

* * *

_Tonight I dreamt of a reverie I haven't had in a long time. It was when I was younger and I would dream of running away from my house in the middle of the night. No one noticed I left and no one came to stop me. _

_I remember in my dream I would arrive at the train station. Trains would come and go, but none of them were mine. I sat there for a while, just sitting and waiting for mine to come. _

_And it did, eventually. My train stopped in front of the bench parallel to where I sat. The door to the passenger car opened and I was blinded by a white light. Someone beckoned me on, saying I needed to hurry up or I would miss it. _

_I remember scrambling to get my things quickly so the train wouldn't leave without me. I raced to the person who held out there hand to me. I didn't see their face, but they were my height as a child. _

_But now… the image morphed into a blurred image of someone slightly taller with a baseball cap before finally getting tallerand the image becoming clear—the size of an adult. The light faded and I was able to see blonde hair, accepting sapphire eyes, and a welcoming smile. _

"_Ready, slowpoke? Good thing you didn't miss the train." she said. _

"_Yeah, good thing I didn't. I thought it would've left without me." I, now as my present age told her. Happy that I was able to reach her and the train. She just snorted, as if the very possibility of my statement was ridiculous. _

"_Nah. I wouldn't let it leave without you." she held my hand and smiled at me. _

"_That's good to know, Namine." _

_And my restless dream of escape ever since my childhood finally had its curtain call making room for the new beginning that lay ahead and the future in store for me. _

* * *

"Wha?" Namine muttered sleepily as she awoke with a start. Groggy blue eyes gazed around her dark and empty-save-for-her apartment. Moogle was peacefully asleep beside her, not being roused from his master's sudden movement at all.

"Weird dream." she murmured dazed as she tried to recall her dream. Something about milkshakes and parents… it didn't make sense to her foggy mind. "Oh well, it's probably not important." she waved it off and went back to dreamland, not approaching the matter again.

* * *

Thirteen Years Ago: 1994

"_Dammit… curse those nurses…" the capped child muttered grumpily, standing in the hallway while a nurse kept an eye on them as the other nurses reported that they found the disobedient child at last. Their scrawny arms crossed against their chest in irritation. "And curse the cruddy hospital food I have to return to." _

_A giggle beside them caught their attention. They pivoted to see a little girl their age with auburn hair a little past her shoulders and sparkling violet eyes wearing a lavender dress, purple sandals, a white sweater tied around her waist, and a couple of bracelets on her wrist. _

"_You didn't get what you wanted?" the girl asked, giggles resuming their escape. The child hmphed and glared at the girl under the bill of their cap. _

"_Obviously." they responded bitterly. The girl titled her head cutely and smiled. _

"_But you look as if you're in a good mood. Did something interesting happen?" she questioned them. A sigh escaped their mouth and a hand reached up to take off the navy baseball cap. Uneven strands of blonde hair fell, some barely touching her shoulders while others past her shoulders slightly. Wise azure eyes gazed back at the girl. _

"_Meh. I guess you could say that." the blonde girl shrugged nonchalantly._

* * *

"_The most important days of our lives are those in which we learn something new about ourselves." _

—Jesse Pharios

* * *

**Karin: Done! There's your Sora-centric chapter folks! I'm very happy to finally get this chapter done because it took me forever to proofread and plan out accordingly, what with doing Sora's memories as a child. Still, it was a fun experience to give some depth into his childhood, no? By the way, the quote at the end reminded me of this whole chapter for Sora's self-realization so I decided to put it at the end. And no, Namine nor Sora realize that they met as kids—just wanted to clear that up for anyone who might be confused otherwise. **

**So anyway, before you non-sormine fans start whining and saying "it's sormine, isn't it? After all, Sormine seems to be popping up ever now and then" just because Sora got a lot of attention this chapter, and in the story, doesn't mean I won't do that for the others too. It's best to get things together all at once—like Sora's childhood and self-realization. It would've screwed me up and ruined the mood if I didn't do it all at once, don't you think? I plan to go into depth for all of the guys eventually. Riku, along with some Namikuness, will be next chapter and Axel, Roxas, and Demyx will get more spotlight on their childhoods and past in the sequel due to it relates to the plot of the second one. I plan to give all five of them in-depth attention, just not at once, so don't start complaining. **

**Moving on, random notice by me: I notice that a lot of Disney songs from the classics can suit Namine and one of the guys. Like "If I never knew you" or "Never knew I needed" or "Beauty and the Beast" etc. haha, I just thought that was funny, so I decided to share it with you. **

**Riku: What about the popularity contest? **

**Karin: Oh right! Here are this chapter's results! **

Namine: 13 votes  
Demyx: 12 votes

Sora: 9 votes  
Roxas: 4 votes  
Riku: 3 votes  
Leon: 2 votes  
Axel: 2 votes

**Roxas: Ha! No one votes for Riku this time!**

**Demyx: In your face! **

**Axel: How the hell did Demyx get so many votes?! **

**Karin: Well we're going by fours, right? When someone just mentions they vote for one character, I just take it as four votes. If it's two characters and they don't tell me the way they're dividing their votes, I just split the four and give both characters two votes. **

**Sora: Namine's winning this time. Should we be mad or happy? **

**Riku: On one hand it's not us who are winning but on the other hand we can't help but be proud of her… that is confusing. **

**Karin: Anyway, thank you so much for those who voted last chapter. Hope to see more votes again. Reviews, as always, are very highly appreciated. **

**Roxas: That would suck if you didn't get any though after typing a 44 paged chapter. **

**Karin: Don't make me think about that possibility. It's not nice, Roxas! **

**Roxas: You'll never get any reviews. Na-na-na-na-na! **

**Karin: You know what? You're not making an appearance next chapter! (sniffle) It's just Riku and Namine! **

**Sora, Axel, Demyx: What?! Why do we have to suffer too?! **

**See ya Next time! **


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